Loyalty
by A True Radical Dreamer
Summary: Sakura is ensnared in a world of deadly intrigue her last year in the Academy. As an unwilling agent of Oto, can she discover what it means to be loyal in a world that promotes deception? Will that loyalty conflict with her growing sense of self-worth? AU
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Alright, I know this is coming as something of a shock to some people that follow my writing. The quick story is this: I start back on my sophmore college year in one week. What that means is that I have even less time than I do now to write. However, I will **make** time. Time for one story. Everything else is going on the backburner so I can keep up with this one and not let it go the way of my other Naruto fictions. I hope i can do it, but even if I can't I honestly like this idea. It just digs at me so I'll probably be able to stay interested. Next chapter will have a better author's note, so look for that. I'm staying a few chapters ahead so I can keep up with it. Next one will be out in around two weeks. If we're cool with one another, please enjoy my return to Naruto fiction. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters in this work of fiction.

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What a horrible night to be lurking around. It was a new moon and one could not see even a fraction in front of them. While Konoha itself was lit up by streetlamps, atop the Hokage monument their light was akin to fireflies twinkling in the darkness.

To the person standing on the massive stone head of the Fourth Hokage, though, there was something far more disconcerting lurking in the night than just the darkness.

"Were you followed?" The voice came out of nowhere, but the person didn't flinch. They were used to it.

"You would know better than I would," the first snapped. "I just want to get this over with so I can go back home. Do you want your stupid information or not?"

There was silence for a long moment before the sound of footsteps echoed on the nearby stone. A taller person joined the first, silhouetted by the flickering lights below, and lazily stared out over the city below them. "Of course. Please, give me your report."

"The council is meeting in two days along with the Jounin. I don't think the Chunin are going to be affected."

"And why is that?" the second figured asked with a sigh. "You are not being very helpful tonight. This is information my master could have gotten through hearsay. He would be very _**annoyed**_ should I only report back this."

Being reminded of who the boss really was, the smaller person stiffened. "Don't threaten me, Kabuto. If you want better information then you should have gotten a better spy."

Kabuto's smile didn't falter. "You were perfect for this job. You can move around without anyone suspecting you, yet you only bring me talk of a meeting between the Jounin and their superiors." He pushed his glasses back up his nose. "I believe you are holding out on me."

"..." The original spy didn't have anything to say to that at first. As Kabuto started to walk away, they caught his arm in a clenched fist. "There is a rumor going around. They say that Hokage-sama is having problems with his health." Defeated, the spy's shoulders drooped and the person released their hold on the taller boy. "Tell your boss that's all I know."

With his unnerving smile back, Kabuto patted his compatriot on the head. "Excellent. That is the level of information we expect from you. _**Our**_ organization will be pleased, Sakura-san."

"Don't get that friendly with me, freak!" Sakura snapped, slapping away the teen's hand. "You make sure they know it was me who gave you that info. I swear, Kabuto, if you take credit for it..."

Kabuto held up his hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it. I will be certain to let the pertinent parties know." That seemed to remind the spy of something, though, and he pulled out a scroll. "Speaking of which, I believe this is the thing you wished for. This should allow you to personally report in now. Consider it a...graduation gift." When Sakura snatched the scroll out of his hands, their business was concluded and Kabuto disappeared in a swirl of leaves with only a parting patronizing wave.

Haruno Sakura, age twelve, looked down at the scroll she had been given and sighed a sigh that sounded like it belonged to someone three times her age. She would open it later at home where she was certain there were no prying eyes. Right now, she just slumped down onto the ground and hugged her knees, looking out over the village but not really seeing it.

How could she have let herself get into this position? Every month she was forced to betray her village, her friends and her family. Each time a part of her shriveled up in side, replacing itself with something foreign. Something cold. However, if she didn't keep her end of the deal...

For now Sakura could, but what about when Kabuto would demand something other than general information? The questions he wanted answered were getting more and more specific and invasive; something was winding up and the tension was mounting. When it sapped, what would be left for her?

"Nothing," Sakura whispered. Thus, she drew up her legs and hugged them, letting her mind drift back to the times before all this started, to when she was just a simple academy student and "ninja" was just a word linked to her future.

To a time over a year removed...

**Chapter One: The Windup**

"Oh god, I'm late! So late!"

Sakura weaved through the morning crowds as best she could. She had spent too long doing her hair this morning and completely forgot about the orientation ceremony at the academy. She was already thirty minutes late and as things were she wasn't even going to make it to the first class on time.

Today was a very special day in the young girl's life, however. It marked the beginning of the third and final year of the shinobi academy. If Sakura passed this year, she would be an official Genin of Konoha. That would mean that Sasuke would finally pay her some attention and that she'd finally be better than that pig, Ino...not that her grades from last year weren't already far above everyone else's.

"Watch where you're going, brat!" some decidedly unpleasant woman yelled out as Sakura brushed past her.

"Suck a brick, old bat!" Sakura shouted back as she kept running. Normally, she wouldn't be so rude but today was proving to be exceptional in annoying her. "I'm really going to catch it!"

Ah, finally! The academy gates came into view and Sakura could see the other kids filing inside. The orientation was over, but class hadn't started yet. The young girl ducked under a man carrying two-by-four's and hopped over a concrete mixer. Everything in the universe was trying to make her late, but Sakura wouldn't let it. Not today, dammit! Just as the front door was closing, she slid her foot in, surprising the Chunin that was standing there.

"Safe!" Sakura happily declared as she skipped through the door. She noticed who it was she was acting out in front of and had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed at her outburst. "Heh, sorry about that, Mizuki-sensei. I really didn't want to be late today."

The Chunin teacher was mellow as always. "Well, you did a good job, Sakura-san," Mizuki said as he walked Sakura to her classroom. "That was good footwork, missing those construction workers by the gate. Have you been practicing over the winter break?"

Sakura blushed. "Maybe a little," she responded, holding up her fingers to indicate how much. "What was all that, though? Are we building something?"

"Iruka-san will be explaining all of that in class. It's going to be pretty busy around here for a few days," the teacher explained. "And it'll be exciting for you students as well."

The class was full by the time Sakura found a seat and she was forced to sit at the back. Fortunately, Iruka hadn't started yet as he was still scolding Naruto for some reason. Given how bad a tongue-lashing the boy was getting, it had to have been impressive.

"Now that the distractions are over," Iruka began, glaring at Naruto while he did so, "I can properly welcome you all to, hopefully, your last year here. For some of you, graduation will be next year, but I hope that you all can pass next summer."

Suddenly, a loud clamor from outside interrupted Iruka's speech. The children all began talking and looking out the windows, forcing the instructor to bang a yardstick on the top if his desk to get back their attention.

"I think you should tell them about it now, otherwise we'll never get anything done," Mizuki suggested.

"I suppose you're right." Iruka shook his head with a good-natured smile. Kids would be kids. "Alright, listen up! We're adding onto the main building this week. It was supposed to be done last month, but there were some delays. However! We'll also have some visitors from the construction; a Genin team has been hired to make the work go faster." There were quite a few excited murmurs from the class at seeing some real ninja in action, but they quieted after a glare from their teacher. "You'll get plenty of chances to see them working since we'll be helping with the work. It will give you all a chance to see how a Genin team works and get some unorthodox exercise."

"And free child labor," Shikamaru scoffed, much to the amusement of the class.

Despite the boy's protest, however, Iruka still had them file up and head out into the schoolyard for their daily exercise. Sakura guessed that it was a new teacher's lounge that was being built based on what part of the academy they were ushered to. Curiously, they were split up into two groups, boys and girls, and given different tasks; the boys would be directly helping the construction workers and the Genin team while the girls would be carting around tools and nails for a group of workers.

"And this will be your area for the day, Sakura," Iruka said as he led the girl further into the construction zone. "You're lucky; you'll get to learn directly from a Genin."

The person Iruka had indicated, a young man with a shiny hitai-ite, smiled pleasantly at Sakura and held out his hand. "My name is Yakushi Kabuto. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Haruno Sakura," Sakura introduced as she shook his hand.

Speaking of the Genin team, they were an odd bunch. Even in this heat they were wearing purple pants and shirts. Sakura had been delegated to helping one of them in particular, an older boy named Kabuto. He was working on getting a part of the wooden frame up while his teammates, Yoroi and Tsurugi, worked on building the next piece of frame.

"Sakura-san, could you get me another bag of nails?" Kabuto asked, noting how few he had left. He thanked the girl when she held up more and soon returned to work, hammering away on what would soon become a wall.

The young academy student wondered how someone like Kabuto could be a Genin. He was nice, of course, but he didn't scream "ninja" to Sakura. In fact, he was sweating quite a bit under the summer sun and looked about ready to pass out...not that he had looked like the physical-type when Sakura first laid eyes on him. Still, the girl supposed it took all kinds and who was she to judge someone else's physical condition? The other Genin were odd, but at least they seemed capable.

Thus, Sakura decided that she should just go along with it. It wasn't often that she got to see a real Genin team at work, after all.

"We're taking a break for lunch now, Sakura-san," Kabuto politely called out.

Embarrassed at having been caught staring, Sakura just nodded. She watched as the odd teen went over to his teammates and smiled with them as they opened their boxed lunches, seemingly ignoring her.

It wasn't that they didn't deserve a break, Sakura told herself as she wandered off towards her class, it was that they didn't invite her. After all, hadn't she been helping them? They were part of the team for the day. Oh well, Genin probably didn't want some academy student hanging around them. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Iruka had already started handing out the lunches that the academy supplied and the rest of Sakura's classmates were breaking up into their individual groups, each talking adamantly about their earlier activities. Naruto was talking so loud about some old construction worker had taught him how to sand wood that he was practically shouting. Usually Sakura would be annoyed by the boy, but it was nice to hear that at least someone was enjoying themselves.

"Hey, forehead," Ino greeted as Sakura walked over. Although they were rivals, the two still acted somewhat like friends; better than eating alone, after all, and there were other girls around that kept arguments from forming. "I thought you'd be happier since you got to team up with the Genin. You look like someone just kicked your favorite puppy."

Did she? Sakura was more annoyed than anything. "It's nothing, Ino-pig. I just thought they'd invite me to eat with them." Alright, so maybe she was a _bit_ bitter as well as annoyed.

Ino just smirked. "Oh yeah? I saw you checking out the one with the glasses. I guess nerds would want to stick together." Several of the other girls giggled while a few more blushed. They must have wanted the same thing.

"Oh please, Sasuke-kun is the only man for me," Sakura snorted. "I just can't believe they ignored me like that after I helped them all morning. That's just rude!"

"Well, that's how men are. Better get used to it," one of the other girls said. Most of the others nodded sagely.

As the topic devolved into the enigma that was an almost-teen boy's mind, Sakura finished off her lunch and started to wander away. Ino had asked where she was going and the pink haired girl had replied that she was going to check on her "team" to see if they were ready to start again.

When she reached the construction area she was assigned to, the Genin were nowhere to be seen. Their food and tools were still nearby, so they couldn't have gone far. Being left by herself to do the work was not sounding good to Sakura so she went off in search of the three teens. Of course, she had no idea where they could have went. Their tools were still scattered around, along with what remained of their lunch, so they couldn't have went far.

Traipsing through a construction zone was not Sakura's idea of good time usage. Lunch was almost over and her daily teamwork grade was dependent on how well her work was done. Even if she was to do the work herself Iruka would be able to tell. Well, there was still enough time to at least look for the Genin before getting her teacher.

As she walked through the skeletal frames, Sakura tried to find any trace of her teammates. No footprints, though the student had never been very good at tracking.

A plyboard fell off of its precarious perch and Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked around for anything that could have disturbed it and her eyes came to rest on a large snake slithering through the foundation area. It was practically the biggest snake Sakura had ever seen and it seemed to know where it was going. It wasn't a poisonous variety, Sakura's own training told her that, but it shouldn't be around people. Very, very odd.

Well, if her team wasn't around then there was no reason to study the snake some more. Sakura hung back, but followed the creature as it weaved around and between the debris. There were other workers around, but they were too busy with their own sections to watch one little girl. The rout the serpent was taking led Sakura farther away from the construction zone to the point she was now on the other side of the academy. It was headed into the auxiliary training area and the young girl stopped by the gate. It wasn't exactly wooded, but it was better than being around in the village. It seemed like the heavy construction had just upset the creature from wherever it usually stayed and it had chosen to move. No big deal.

Just as she was about to head back to the academy to talk to Iruka, Sakura heard a soft "bang" from the training area. "No one is supposed to be back there," she mumbled to herself. All the classes were out in the construction yard. Even more strange was the chakra she felt hovering over the place like a barrier. Sakura hadn't even noticed until she was standing past it. For whatever reason, the snake Sakura had been following had somehow gotten through it with Sakura following it.

Taking a few minutes to investigate this was worth being late to start work, Sakura decided. Walking down the gravel path towards the training area, she also kept a look out for that snake. For some reason it had gotten past the barrier that even birds we warded away from. Something told Sakura that it was important.

As she crept closer to the clearing, muffled sounds started to drift to her ears.

"...what are our new orders?"

"Just a moment, just a moment..."

The quiet voices came as a surprise to Sakura. She thought she recognized them, but wasn't completely sure. Taking the chance, she crept closer to the center of the grounds, making certain to suppress any sounds.

Standing in the middle of the area was none other than the wayward Genin team. Sakura was about to stomp over there and give them a piece of her mind, but she saw something that gave her pause.

It was the snake.

The creature had crawled into the middle of the open space where the three Genin were standing. To Sakura's incredible surprise, Kabuto stooped down to pick the snake up. Once in his hands, it dislocated its jaw and spat up what looked like a scroll. Afterwards, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_'It's a summoned animal,'_ Sakura realized. Why would it be here? Who had summoned it? Most importantly, why would Kabuto know about it? Then Sakura realized what was going on; it had been looking for Kabuto specifically.

The bespeckled Genin unrolled the scroll for his teammates to see. "We are to fail the next Chunin exams. Yes, again." His voice was light, not tense at all. "We have a mission as well: obtain a new copy of ANBU's bingo book. That's all."

Sakura had no idea about the Chunin exams, or why failing them was important, but she did know the bingo book. It was only available to Chunin and up and it contained information on all criminals and high-ranking shinobi from neighboring villages. It was something that Genin shouldn't have access to. There was really only one explanation for all of this; they were spies.

The girl had to fight hard to control her breathing. This was serious. The village would have to know about this! Even though it was just one Genin team, they could cause problems if no one knew. Sakura knew exactly what procedures to follow since they were all covered in class. All she had to do is go and get her teacher. That's it. Simple.

That was, until, her foot caught on a root as she was standing.

Sakura's heart nearly jumped out of her throat as she broke into a run. They would have heard that and now they would be coming for her. If she hurried, she could make it to Iruka. He could fix things, he could catch them. He could-

"Hello, Sakura-san." Kabuto had appeared right in front of the girl's path, causing her to skid to a stop. She opened her mouth to scream, but a long snaky arm wrapped around her throat from behind. Kabuto now sadly shook his head, waving a patronizing finger in Sakura's face. "Now, now, now. We can't have you making such a fuss." His eyes flicked to a spot behind the girl and he gave a look that implied he wasn't pleased.

Instantly, Sakura felt her body lurch forward and then snap back into place. She didn't know where she was now, though, as it looked like a totally different part of the city. She was released, though, and she fell forward onto her knees. It had been the taller of Kabuto's teammates who had grabbed her and now he was standing back with his compatriot, apparently waiting on Kabuto.

The boy sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked down at the terrified student with an annoyed face before pulling a kunai from his leg pouch and stooped down so he was eye-to-eye with the girl.

"My, my. Your chakra was so tiny that I mistook you for an animal caught inside the barrier. What a bad kid." Kabuto sounded more upset with himself than the student, though. "I simply must know how much you just heard. You will tell me, yes?" The blade danced distressingly close to Sakura's throat as he asked.

Death. Sakura knew that she would have to face it eventually, but here it was, staring her in the face before she was even a ninja. The blade was pressing hard into her skin now, drawing a thin line of blood. The look on Kabuto's face made it clear he was tired of waiting.

"I-I-I didn't see anything! I swear!" Tears were starting to leak out the corners of Sakura's eyes. "I swear it, please don't kill me! Please!"

Kabuto backhanded the girl hard enough that Sakura's head snapped back. Her crying only increased, however. When she managed to look up at Kabuto, she was struck by the sheer malice that was rolling off of him.

"Listen to me. If you do not tell me what you heard I will rip it from your mind. Do you understand?"

It was terrifying, looking Kabuto in the eyes. They were wild, vicious things. The kind of eyes that belonged to a demon that would snap you up if you even blinked.

"O-Orders, I heard you mention orders." Sakura's head fell, defeated. She knew what Kabuto's threat meant; if she didn't answer he would use genjutsu that would surly kill her, violating her mind and pull the information out anyway.

Kabuto glanced at his two partners. "We were careless. I suppose I'll have to ready a corpse. I only have one as young as you, though." He held up his hand and went through a few sets of seals while one of the others held Sakura's head steady and forced her eyes open. "It was fun, Sakura-san."

Just as things were going dark for the girl, something made Kabuto pull back from the edge. Though Sakura couldn't see what it was, she knew it saved her. Just so long as she didn't get killed...just so long as she was alive...

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In the present, Sakura's eyes snapped back open. She didn't want to remember this. How long had she just been sitting here, brooding over how all this had started? There was no point to it anymore; what's done is done. She had made her decision and now she had to stick with it. Glancing down at the scroll in her hands, Sakura hoped that it was something that made her job easier, like she had asked weeks ago. She didn't like talking to, or thinking about, Kabuto.

There was no trying out the scroll now; Sakura had been gone for quite some time and if her mother were to check in on her there would be problems. One of the first things she had drilled into her head by Kabuto was to cover her bases. It had almost been an hour and anything longer than that couldn't be written off as a "late night walk" to calm her nerves before graduation. At least she was getting better at picking out what information was useful, though. Her reports used to take twice as long.

Sakura rose to her feet and dusted her shorts off. She didn't like leaving her mother alone for very long, especially when Kabuto wasn't around. The student didn't think he'd actually go after her family when she'd been keeping up with her part of the deal, but Sakura didn't want to push it. As she walked, though, the girl did break the seal on the scroll to get an idea of what was within.

It was a summoning scroll of some sort. Not one of the usual animal contracts, though. There was a space for a hand print and a circle ringed by runes of all sizes. Sakura recognized a few, but most were alien to the student. It looked like it only went a few rolls deep into the scroll, though. She could probably unwind the entire thing on a tabletop.

Her house was in view now. There were no lights on and for that Sakura was thankful. She was careful about leaving, but sometimes her mother would get up in the middle of the night for water.

After hopping into the window she had left unlocked on her way out, Sakura checked in on her mother just for sanity's sake. The woman was sleeping peacefully, not even stirring when Sakura opened the door to her bedroom.

With that out of the way, Sakura retreated back to her own room and lit a candle. The soft glow illuminating part of her room, she locked her door and unrolled the scroll on her bed. Her first instinct had proven correct; it was a summoning scroll of some kind. There were two distinct hand prints on it with lettering under each; "Return" and "Recall" were the labels.

_'Well, since I'm looking for something I should use 'Recall',' _Sakura thought. Hesitantly, she placed her hand on the correct print and felt a small pull of chakra. The circle of symbols glowed briefly and a small book appeared in a puff of smoke.

It was leather-bound and without markings of any kind. In fact, it looked quite like a journal. Sakura picked it up and, after looking it over more thoroughly, opened to the first page. There were several small pages that were loosely inserted into the book which fell out when she opened it. These inserts had various symbols on them that looked like a pattern or word key of some kind. Putting them away for a moment, Sakura turned her attention back to whatever was actually written in the book.

"'Weekly journal, Haruno Sakura. Accept?'" the pink-haired girl read aloud. That was it; there were no other words on any of the pages. "So it's an activity journal for my reports? Do I just write it in here?"

Of course, the book could not answer any of her questions. Taking a chance, Sakura grabbed a pen from her desk and wrote _yes_ under the first line. Placing the book back in the circle, Sakura used her other hand on the print for "Return", not even slightly surprised when it disappeared in another puff of smoke.

There was no doing anything else tonight with the seal. Sakura rolled it back up and put it into her closet with all her other academy scrolls. Unless someone knew exactly what they were looking for, it was doubtful that they would be able to pick it out of the dozens of others on the rack. Whoever had made it had used a Konoha academy scroll so the markings wouldn't give it away.

Back in her room, Sakura closed the window and turned back up her lamp light. She wanted to go to sleep, but those inserts that had fallen out were too intriguing to ignore. After studying it for a moment, she came to the conclusion that it was indeed a key of some kind. Groupings of musical symbols and staff lines with corresponding letters. At first Sakura thought it was a simple coding, but it soon became obvious that she'd have to had at least a fundamental knowledge of music composition to fully grasp it. It was late, though, and the girl wanted nothing more than to sink under the covers. She rolled the pieces of paper up and put them into a small cut-away she had made under her desk.

Sakura couldn't help but let her mind drift back over her predicament as she changed for bed. Tomorrow she would be graduating from the academy, becoming a true Genin and citizen of the village. If she were caught there would be no reprieve, despite the safeguards Kabuto had put in place. The price for spying was universal for all ranks; death, usually by public execution. In some ways it was better to even be a missing-nin as you'd get a private, somewhat reverent death at the hands of your former comrades. Not a gruesome display of gore to intimidate the masses.

What was worse is that Sakura would die alone. Kabuto certainly wouldn't be joining her if she were caught, thanks to a little insurance policy he had implemented. The girl rolled her tongue around in her mouth, slightly disgusted. No, Kabuto was much too smart for something like that. Sakura couldn't even cut a deal if she were captured. Just two choices if she was discovered: a slow, horrible death at the hands of ANBU or a quick, supremely painful one as a result of the fail-safe.

The girl shuddered as she crawled under the covers. No, she wouldn't be found out. She had been covering all of her bases and a mere academy student wouldn't draw that much attention even if she was regularly eating at Jounin hangouts. Sakura was able to avoid even more scrutiny because she didn't actually _try_ and eavesdrop on their conversations. Kabuto would take any tidbit she could pick up from just the regular chatter that he couldn't get to.

That was all going to change, though, as Sakura fully knew. As a Genin, she would be outside the village more and she'd have to take risks to get more information. The one upside was that she'd have access to a Jounin of her own on a permanent basis. It would be his or her duty to answer any and all questions.

Of course, that also meant that it'd be easier for her to be caught if the Jounin was particularly attentive. It was going to be a grand game of chicken with the first person blinking losing.

_'I just can't blink,'_ Sakura told herself. She couldn't afford to. Death was the only reward if she were caught by the village. She had far more to lose than some random Jounin, that was for sure. The day after tomorrow, after the exam, her real test would start.

For now, though, Sakura just enjoyed the feel of her bed. She had given Kabuto enough information to last for at least another few weeks and non-stop studying left her confident about the exam tomorrow. The rest could wait; tomorrow, nothing would be able to drag her down. Not even the reality waiting around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, classes start back tomorrow. The fourth chapter of this is slogging along, but I think I'll hold off on number three for a little bit so I can get settled. Wish me luck!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. When is someone going to buy it for me?

* * *

_Those eyes, those damn eyes. They are staring at me, looming over my form. Like the hint of a blade at my throat; just a wisp, but it lingers long enough to be felt. A wraith that won't leave my side. I'm torn in two directions, unable to find the correct path. My pride holds me to one, my convictions hold me to another. _

_I really am going to die. _

**Chapter Two: Got My Tongue**

Sakura bolted straight up and nearly cracked heads with her mother. The poor woman fell backwards with a yelp, landing on the floor and struggling for breath.

"Good God, Sakura. You nearly gave me a heart attack," the elder Haruno gasped.

Subtly, Sakura slid the kunai in her left hand back under her pillow. "S-Sorry, mom. You shouldn't sneak up on me like that, though."

The nightmare had returned. Sakura had thought she was over them for the most part, but the meeting last night must have triggered it again. Not even a full night's sleep could subdue them now.

Sakura's mother took one last deep breath before getting back up. She looked at her daughter with a pitying, if not somewhat frightened, look. "You're an official ninja, so I suppose you're right. I'm sure your father would understand it better, though." The woman grew somewhat grim for a moment before plastering a fake smile on her face. "Anyway, I came up here to wake you up. It's your last day at the academy, isn't it? I've fixed a big breakfast for you so you'll be ready to go."

When her mother left, Sakura felt some of her tension ease off. It was a good thing her mother wasn't a ninja or else she would certainly know something was up. Deciding that a long shower could only ease her stress even more, the girl lazily got out of bed and, after laying out her clothes for the day, headed to the bathroom. As an afterthought, Sakura grabbed the cipher key and tossed it next to her clothes for the day. She could have a chance to look it over later.

When Sakura finally got out of her shower, she dressed and headed downstairs. True to her mother's word, there was a grand spread on the dinner table; pancakes, bacon, eggs and several fruits. Even though she was on a diet, Sakura decided she could enjoy a good meal before the final exams.

Her mother placed a little flower in front of a picture that was sitting off to the side before getting her own food. Sakura knew it was a photo of her father, the only other ninja in the Haruno family. Every morning her mother would light some incense and place a flower pulled from the garden by it in remembrance. Some people would find it odd that the older Haruno was still so devoted, but the pink-haired girl drew some small comfort from the action, even if she couldn't remember the man.

"So, do you think you'll do good on the exams, Sakura?" her mother asked once she was back at the table.

"I'm sure I will. It'll either be a written exam or a practical skills test. My grades are good enough that I can handle anything that comes up." Well, if it was a taijutsu test then there might be a problem, but Sakura was sure she could at least pass.

She had always considered herself a good student. Sakura had one of the best senjutsu, strategy, scores along with a very high individual study score. Her ninjutsu needed work, but it was manageable and she was able to do any jutsu Iruka would ask for. Being near the middle of the kunoichi pack in taijutsu wasn't bad either, but it was far from Sakura's strong point. She just didn't have the stamina everyone else did.

In all, Sakura was fairly well-rounded. However, her confrontation with Kabuto a year ago had shaken her badly. Unable to remain hidden, escape, or even fight back, she had simply started sobbing at the drop of a hat. Not really ninja material, Sakura imagined. It was only later that she learned that Kabuto wasn't a normal Genin, but it was still a strong reminder of what her own limits were.

"Sakura, are you alright?"

The girl looked up at her worried mother and smiled. Again she was thankful that her mother wasn't a ninja and thus couldn't tell when she was putting on a front. "I'm just a little nervous," Sakura lied and her mother seemed to buy it, smiling back at her and going back to reading the morning paper.

Sakura hated lying to her mother. The first few months of being one of Kabuto's lackeys were the worst. She constantly had to come up with excuses as to why she was so late getting home or why she had to be out of the house so much. Gathering information as an academy student usually entailed just hanging out at training grounds or places Jounin and Chunin would eat at, but it involved waiting for long periods of time. Time she could have spent back at home, curled up with a book or watching television.

It was hell having to live this double life. Every time she was forced to put her own life above the village, every time she gave Kabuto just one more tidbit of information, she felt herself change for the worse. The fact that it didn't bother her as much as before was only the tip of that emotional iceberg.

The girl poked at the pancake on her plate. Despite the fact that she couldn't stop herself, Sakura still brooded over her changing attitude. What kind of person was she that betraying the very village she, her parents, and untold generations of the Haruno family had lived wasn't an agonizing decision after only one short year? Noting the worried look from her mother, though, Sakura tried to put her dark thoughts out of her mind for the time being and focus on breakfast.

After polishing off what food was left, Sakura wiped her mouth and started for the door. "I've got to go now, mom. I'll be home early today since we're only doing exams." Her mother only waved and wished her luck.

Luck. Well, that was something Sakura could always use these days. As she stepped out of her front door, she noticed her former best friend walking ahead of her a few yards down the street. Sakura debated catching up and tossing a few taunts around before class, but decided against it. Instead, she pulled out the small slip of paper she had received the night before and began looking it over.

One thing that Sakura had learned as a agent was that the best place to hide was in plain sight. On the street, where anyone could be watching her, was the best place to memorize the code key. After all, no one would expect a spy to be so brazen, would they? If Sakura sneaked off to some remote place to study, it only made her look more suspicious.

Unconsciously, her mind drifted back to the day she had learned that very lesson firsthand. She had nearly been caught by Iruka when she had sneaked off to an unused classroom to write out a report for Kabuto. The teacher had, thankfully, taken his student's caution as her being embarrassed and Sakura had told him she was writing a love letter to Sasuke. From then on, she wrote all her reports during class at the same time she was taking notes, though she kept a few spare notes on her person in case there was a repeat.

Before the incident with Iruka she would have figured it was paranoia; now it was a way of life. From the few lessons the academy had on subterfuge, Sakura gathered that most ninja were paranoid anyway and the ones that weren't were usually either very good at what they did or very bad. It was hard enough having to sneak around to meet up with Kabuto every month so the less weighing on the girl's nerves the better.

No more, though. With the summoning scroll and this key, Sakura could make her reports far more discretely. However, the key itself was very complicated. The notes didn't correspond to any individual letters, but instead had to be arranged in different melodies in order to make sense. Sakura knew next to nothing about music so she would have to pick up a book later and really get down to basics.

Why _music_, though? As codes went, it was fairly novel, there was no question about that. The basic Konoha codes that were taught to academy students were character ciphers: massive blocks of symbols written on paper that would then be folded and refolded until a message came out. The combinations were endless and even Sakura couldn't grasp more than a handful of folding methods. Iruka had said that was good enough for a student, but the girl still felt disappointed. Perhaps she would be able to understand this key more. Even though the cause was insidious, Sakura liked the thrill of an intellectual challenge.

Deciding to pick up some research materials later, Sakura hurried on towards the academy. All of this thinking was a moot point if she were late for exam day. Her usual seat filled, Sakura found an empty one near the back. The other kids were chatting excitedly about graduating, but Sakura didn't feel the need to join in. Instead, she just rested her chin on her folded arms and watched Sasuke, who was sitting near the front. That boy was gorgeous, after all, and watching him was always one of Sakura's favorite activities even if she didn't get to do it very often these days.

It was funny how priorities shift. She had just been so damn busy lately with her "side job" and graduation. Last week was the worst: exams every day and the monthly deadline looming. The last thing Sakura needed was Kabuto breathing down her neck or making more threats. The only thing that allowed her to juggle her schedule at all was studying at her usual eavesdropping cafe. In fact, since she was something of a regular there by now, a few had even helped her on her homework, telling her some of their favorite memorization methods they had used back in the academy.

Those very same people would gladly kill her if she ever was discovered and Sakura repressed a shudder.

"Alright, eyes to the front," Iruka called out. He had a clipboard under one arm and it was thick with evaluation sheets. "We're going to do this alphabetically. When you hear your name, follow me to the examination room."

So that's how it is. Sakura let out a puff of air in annoyance. It wasn't going to be a written exam so that means a skills demonstration. Not exactly her strong point, but at least the examination room wasn't large enough for taijutsu.

Down in front, the first student walked out of the room with a shiny new forehead protector. He didn't look very winded, but that could mean a lot of things. Perhaps it was just a skill he was good at?

When the next one came out in the same condition, Sakura relaxed a bit. Paranoia was second nature to the girl by this point, but even she could take some relief from two passes in a row.

"D-Do you think the exam is difficult?"

It took a moment for Sakura to realize someone was talking to her and not just mumbling to themselves. In the seat beside her, a small black-haired girl was glumly watching the proceedings. Sakura knew who it was, Hyuuga Hinata, but she had hardly ever spoken to the quiet girl. Most likely because she always sat up here at the back.

Cautiously, Sakura answered. "I don't think so. Look at all the people who've already passed." Why would Hinata even be asking her a question like this, though? "You're a Hyuuga. You have a better chance at passing than any of us," Sakura bluntly stated. Hinata wilted and shrunk back into her chair.

"That's not true," she whispered, but didn't illuminate any further. That suited Sakura just fine and she went back to her own last-minute studies.

Too soon, however, Iruka got to her name. Sakura took a deep, calming breath and gathered her things. Surprisingly, Hinata piped up just loud enough to mumble a "good luck" which Sakura barely heard, which she thanked with a small nod and a smile.

The small exam room housed a folding table and a few chairs, but Iruka immediately sat behind the table with Mizuki. There were over two dozen forehead protectors still on the table.

"Alright. I want you to make a bunshin for us and hold it for a few seconds," Iruka ordered.

A bunshin? That was pretty easy. Sakura drew her hands together and started to mold her chakra, projecting it outwards through the handseal.

Two perfect replicas of Sakura popped into existence on either side of her and she let out a breath. "Is this satisfactory, Iruka-sensei?"

"That's fine. Good work," Iruka praised. He marked down her passing grade in his book and motioned for his student to come over. "Pick any hitai-ite you want."

Sakura dispelled her clones and skipped over to the table. She grabbed the shiniest one on left and ran her fingers over the cool metal and the leather it was bound to. After six years it was finally hers. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei. It was an honor to learn from you." Not a lie in the least since the man had been a great teacher. "I can't wait to rub it in Ino's face!"

Iruka smiled at his student, indulging her rivalry for the last day. "You earned it. I'm proud that you improved so much this last year."

Sakura's head snapped up. "What?"

"Well, that's not to say you weren't always a good student," the man placated, misinterpreting his student's reaction. "I just mean that your other skills have been improving as well. You've always had the book knowledge, Sakura, but not the practical. Lately, though, I've seen you applying basic strategies and tactics in your essays to a degree you never did before and not just mechanical quotes from an old textbook. I'm glad to see that kind of drive in my students."

Although he smiled widely at her, Sakura's blood was running cold. Improved over the last year? The only thing that had changed in that time was Kabuto and her second life. She felt like throwing up because of the disgust bubbling up from her stomach. It was hard to keep down while knowing that she was getting praised for being a traitor, even in a round-about way.

"T-Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Just a small hitch in her voice and still the Chunin bought it. "I'm glad that my extra studies have paid off." The words were so easy to say. Was lying second nature by now? Sakura didn't know, but again she attributed it to the duties she was forced to do.

Later, Sakura would scold herself for leaving academy in the middle of an exam, but right now she didn't care. With a stony face, she marched out of the classroom and ignored Ino's taunts as she did so. The blonde could think her rival had failed if she wanted, but right now Sakura had to get out of the building. She had to get away from that exam room.

Haruno Sakura, the most intelligent person of her generation, had improved not thanks to herself, but because of a life or death situation thrust upon her. She knew where that extra knowledge had come from: nights spent pouring over books at the library to help her be a better spy, all the small missions she'd give herself to fulfill Kabuto's lust for more information and secrets, and all the practice spent avoiding being caught by lazy Chunin street patrols. It was stupid to think that she wouldn't improve, to think that she wouldn't gain.

That, though, didn't make it any less disgusting.

By the time her house came into view, Sakura was in a run and crying. People were stopping to look at the pathetic little girl running down the street in tears, but Sakura didn't care. She threw open the door to the house, ran past her shocked mother, and locked herself in her room. Her bed buckled under the repeated punches Sakura threw at it as she broke down. She was imagining people taking the hits instead of the mattress. Kabuto, Iruka, herself, and...

Sakura's fists finally stopped and she tiredly flopped over onto her back, disgusted. So childish. The most she could do is beat up on imaginary enemies and break her bed. She furiously wiped the tears out of her eyes and slammed a pillow over her head in frustration. At least her mother hadn't tried to talk to her yet and for that Sakura was thankful. She didn't think she could lie with a straight face at the moment.

Just the thought of anything good coming from being a spy made Sakura's stomach lurch. How could she keep doing this? How could she have done this for over a year? And for what? Her own worthless life?

"I really am the worst," she whispered as her mind began replaying that day, one year ago, when everything changed. When her very world had collapsed...

---------------------

When Sakura finally awoke, she was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. The florescent lighting of the room blinded her and she let her eyes slip back closed.

"She's awake," someone said off to the side. "Sakura, are you alright?"

The girl being question forced her eyes open again. This time she could see distinct blurs hovering overhead, but still couldn't make out anything. "F-Fine. Where am I? I feel horrible."

Something sharp poked her arm, but she was in no condition to do anything about it. Still, Sakura tried to move, to get away, but a strong arm held her in place. "The nurse is just taking some blood, Sakura. They have to make sure all the poison is gone."

Poison? What were they talking about? "Wha...who are you?"

"Sakura-san, it's Iruka-sensei. Please, calm down."

That voice. That was...that was...Sakura's head still felt like it was full of cotton, but she summoned the strength to wrench her eyes open again. It was as she had feared: the gray-haired, bespectacled Kabuto was one of the faces watching her.

The girl started to push away despite her grogginess, and the machines she was hooked up to, in a frantic effort to get away from the spy. "H-Help, Iruka-sensei! Get him away from me!"

"Sakura! Stop!" Iruka ordered, holding her down in case the nurse wanted to give her a sedative. "Kabuto-san saved your life. Why are you acting like this?"

Before Sakura could properly express her disbelief in words, the Genin in question spoke up. "She has to be confused, Iruka-sensei. She was bitten by an asp, after all. It could have done damage to her short-term memory." He gave the horrified girl one of his best smiles. "It is very fortunate my team and I had finished eating when we did, otherwise you would have not made it to the hospital in time. Asp venom is quite toxic."

An asp? They were rare, but native to Fire Country. Was that the snake she had followed, Sakura wondered. "I remember a snake," she admitted. Her head was still so foggy, though. "It bit me?"

Kabuto nodded. "On your arm." He motioned to the wrapped appendage before pushing his glasses further up his nose. "You were in a feverish fit for hours, screaming out in your sleep."

So, that's how it was. Sakura wasn't totally sure of herself, but she trusted her teacher. All of that spy business must have been just what Kabuto said; a bad nightmare. Relieved, she sank back into her pillow.

Imagine it, a weak little guy like Kabuto being a spy! How silly.

"Now, Sakura-san, I believe it's time we had a talk about what you saw earlier."

Slowly, Sakura's head turned to look at the Genin. Iruka was slumped over in his chair and the door was closed. "No...no! No, no, no!" Sakura wanted to scream even louder, but Kabuto's hand forced her mouth shut.

"Now, now. We can't have that." He looked back at the door with narrowed eyes, but no one came in. "If you are worried about your teacher, don't be. He's not dead. Yet." There was an unspoken threat in that assurance, however. He ran through a string of seals and a ripple of chakra pulsed out from his body, molding itself to the contour of the room. "There, now we can have some privacy."

He lifted his hand up to allow Sakura to speak, but it was kept close in case she decided to do anything else. At least he seemed willing to allow her a moment to collect herself.

"It wasn't a dream..." The horror was just setting in that, no, she hadn't imagined what happened to her and that, yes, she was at Kabuto's mercy. Even the asp bite was probably replicated by him as a subtle hint that she lived or died by his hand. "W-What do you want with me?"

"Why, to have you work for me, of course."

Wait, what? Sakura didn't know if that was a joke or not because Kabuto's face was giving nothing away. "Betray Konoha? I can't!"

Kabuto shrugged and pulled a vial from his pouch. It was a greenish liquid, dancing about in the fluorescent lights of the hospital room. "If you refuse then I'll inject this asp venom back into your system. The doctors will think it's a relapse and you'll die in a few minutes."

It was the nonchalance in his voice scared Sakura more than the death threat. This was serious: if she said no Kabuto would honestly kill her.

"Why would you want me to?" Sakura asked in an attempt to give her time to think up a way out of this or for help to stumble into the room. "I'm just an academy student. You gain nothing by doing this! You could just use a genjutsu on me and make me forget!"

The boy laughed, actually laughed, at that. "It is within my power. However, I think you would be a useful tool. You can get to places that I can't because who would guess you'd be a spy? Your family has no ties to any ninja clans and you are an academy student who has never left the village. It would be ridiculous to think that you'd be working for someone else."

That was logic that Sakura couldn't deny. How, though, had Kabuto found out so much so quickly? If anything, that proved that the teen's assertion that he was a spy was correct. Sakura warily licked her lips. "But what if I do get caught? Then the ANBU would get the information out of me," she argued. "It's best to just put me under a genjutsu and not take the chance, right?"

"If that is the case, then it would be best to _kill_ you, wouldn't you say?" Kabuto mused as he pulled out the asp poison again. "ANBU could still get into your head if you were alive."

It had to be a trick, another feint. Sakura was certain of this. Either the poison wasn't real or he was going to give her the antidote. This was all to make her agree, she imagined. Well, he wouldn't get to her like this. Not in a million years. She was trained to recognize a bluff.

"Go ahead. I won't betray my village." Most assuredly it was a bluff. Once Sakura called him on it he'd back off.

With a shrug, Kabuto followed the girl's advice. The small syringe on the vial plunged into the IV running into Sakura's arm, draining it in a few moments.

Unable to do anything but, Sakura watched the clear liquid mix with the nutrients and run into her body. She couldn't feel a change, but she knew that within minutes death would claim her.

Kabuto, having finished his work, grimly smiled at the girl. "You are a true shinobi, Sakura-san, to die for your village. You have my respect." Oddly, it didn't seem like the boy was being sarcastic and that he actually meant the words, not noticing the look of horror spread over Sakura's face.

Ignoring her once again, Kabuto was busy injecting his chakra into Iruka's mind. "I'll place memories of you shivering, gasping for air and calling out for a doctor." The spy was talking more to himself than Sakura, whispering instructions to keep focus on the difficult procedure. "Not many mental blocks. Seems he wasn't on active missions too much." Words so cold that they chilled Sakura to the bone.

With a snap, Sakura realized that it was not the spy's nonchalance that was making her body shiver. She knew what asp venom did to a person; it brought about necrosis in tissue, destroying the living cells there. Her arm was already going numb and pulses of muted nerves were cascading through her body. By now, the venom was probably in her heart, being pumped to other organs that would soon start to decay as well. Her breaths were getting heavy, labored, as the tissue in her lungs ruptured.

By now, the machines had started their alarming symphony; various beeps, alarms, and readouts where pouring out from them. Normally the doctors on duty would have came rushing in, but the sound barrier Kabuto had put up was also seemingly affecting whatever monitoring equipment they had. The spy remained unworried and continued to diligently work on Iruka.

It was something of an epiphany that Sakura finally understood that this was no bluff. She was really going to die, right now, in this hospital bed. Darkness was starting to seep into her vision and the spots were becoming noticeable. Even though breathing was difficult, she was starting to hyperventilate. The machines were still going insane, but no one was coming to help.

"N-No...help...me..." Sakura's world was dimming, long before she had thought it would. Was this what a shinobi was? Dying for a cause that would be lost on those around her? It would be seen as a fluke. An accident. No one would ever understand the suffering she was enduring. Was this what being a Konoha-nin really was?

Was this the so-called _will of fire_ that she had been fed her entire life?

Kabuto, the only person that was party to this little drama, looked back over at Sakura she gurgled out neigh-intelligible sounds. The girl was probably drowning in her own fluids at the moment, but his eyes held no more sympathy. Instead, he was as detached as a researcher watching some perverse experiment in a laboratory. An experiment that he had initiated.

"I don't want to die," Sakura rasped. Damn Kabuto for doing this to her, damn Iruka for being caught off-guard, damn the hospital staff for being lax...

...damn herself for being so weak.

The boy raised one thin eyebrow until it was nearly obscured by his forehead protector. "Oh? _Now_ you want to be cooperative? You disappoint me, Sakura-san. I had thought you had resigned yourself to this fate for your village." He shook his head in mild disgust. "Anyone would repent at the end to save themselves. Your words have little meaning."

A dark patch of necrosis was starting to spread out from where the IV sank into her skin, indicating the dead patch of cells there. It wouldn't be much longer. "P-Please, I...I mean it..." Sakura feebly assured. She tried to convey though her eyes what her words could not, catching the spy's gaze.

Kabuto regarded her for a long moment, contemplating whether even answering was worth his time. Finally, he leaned in. "Swear," he said, "that you will faithfully serve my master and his interests. That you are bound to him and his will. Swear it."

Such words, to non-ninja, would seem silly, but Sakura knew what kind of weight they carried. Even a spy in the shinobi world wasn't without honor. To willingly betray one's` own village for another was a mark that would forever stay with a ninja. Even if Sakura somehow wormed her way out from under Kabuto and whoever he was truly working for, the stain would always haunt her.

_'What choice do I have?'_ Sakura thought. It came down to either dying for Konoha or living and betraying it. To some, that wasn't a hard decision, to this girl, it was paramount. She was terrified at the thought of dying, of having her life cut short.

"I-I...I..." With one hard swallow, Sakura set her path. "I s-swear."

What transpired afterwards was blurry to the new spy. Kabuto's hands had started glowing and moving toward her and for one horrifying moment she thought the boy was going to kill her anyways. Instead, though, a warmth bit at the cold bite of death, fighting back that black hand. It took away the pain in her chest, the weight in her lungs, and the numbness in her arm.

Kabuto retracted his chakra after healing the small damage to her heart. The dead skin in her arm was above his ability to cure, but it would replace itself with time and he simply pulled the bandage that was already there up a little further. Now, though, there was something far more important to do with his remaining stamina.

"Open your mouth and stick out your tongue," he ordered.

Too weak to argue, Sakura did as she was told, though she was fighting against passing out. She could hear Kabuto getting something out of one of his weapons pouches, but she was unable to see what it was from her position.

Suddenly, Kabuto caught her tongue in between his index finger and thumb, painfully pulling it out far farther than it was supposed to go. Sakura squirmed, trying to free her head, but the spy was holding fast.

Now she could see his other hand. It was holding a small, nondescript bottle that was getting dangerously close to her tongue. Black liquid spilled out of it when Kabuto tipped the bottle, hitting Sakura's tongue, covering it with what looked like oil. The teen made a few seals with his free hand and pressed his thumb into the liquid and then releasing his hold.

"What the hell did you do?!" Sakura demanded, gagging. The oily taste was gone, but she could feel lingering chakra dissipating in the back of her throat.

"You must forgive me if your words are not enough of a guarantee," Kabuto replied, his voice smooth as silk. "I placed a seal on you. If you speak anything of this to anyone other than myself or my master, the jutsu will activate. It's a simple thing to do with a willing patient."

Sakura had studied seals that could be placed on her body back in the academy, but this was a high level sealing method. She didn't doubt that Kabuto could pull it off, thus his threat was very, very real. "Damn you," she hissed. "Just what will happen to me?"

"Oh, nothing much. Your chakra paths will simply seize up, constricting any organs they are near. That would mean your heart, lungs, stomach, colon-"

Kabuto's voice was starting to become distant to Sakura as the full implications hit her. It was a death seal; it ensured that ANBU would be extracting no information from her alive. She couldn't turn to anyone now. She was truly alone and bound to the devil himself.

A sharp knock on the door broke Sakura out of her thoughts. Kabuto lazily looked over his shoulder as a nurse called out that the door was locked. "One moment, please," he called out. Moving his hand over Iruka's head, the man's eyes fluttered back open. "Iruka-sensei, could you watch Sakura for a moment while I speak with the nurse?" His tone didn't miss a beat, coming out as placating and soft as it had when he was originally talking to the man. Afterwards, he got up to unlock the door, but send a subtle look at Sakura before his back was turned.

Although obviously a bit confused, Iruka slowly nodded. "Yeah, sure," he remarked. "Sakura? I'm sorry, but I must have zoned out on you."

"I-It's fine, Iruka-sensei. You were tired and I asked Kabuto-san not to wake you." Her heart was pounding and the girl was afraid that her teacher would be able to tell she was lying. "I think...I think I should get some rest too." She was far too addled to lie effectively.

Iruka just nodded. "I'm not feeling well myself, so I understand," he admitted. Grasping the back of his chair for support, the young teacher managed to get to his feet and shuffle toward the door. Kabuto, who had been speaking with the nurse, moved to the side to let him through, giving him a pleasant farewell as he did so.

Alone, Sakura finally let out a ragged breath. Before Kabuto could make his way back over, the girl tried to will herself to laps out of consciousness. She didn't want to deal with doctors, spies, or reality. Even if it was just for a few hours, she wanted to forget. Her body, exhausted beyond anything she had ever felt, complied and she slipped into a fitful sleep.

Sakura would be in the hospital for three more days as the poison was fully pumped from her body. The relapse was chalked up to the unusual amount of venom the asp had injected. Kabuto had covered his tracks well; his amount of medical expertise far exceeded that of the doctors and his healing at the end had saved Sakura's life. However, the rehabilitation for her right arm still took weeks. Beyond that, the seal Kabuto had placed on the girl was always on her mind, lingering just under the surface as Iruka and her parents visited.

It was during the rough weeks of rehabilitation that Sakura began her work and cultivating her first contacts as a spy. She had gotten to know the medical staff fairly well and the information they provided about their other patients as small-talk was more than enough to keep Kabuto happy for the first month. Sakura learned how to get just what she wanted from these conversations, teasing out bits of information individually and in small chunks, eventually adding up to a frightening amount of data.

Later, Sakura's grades at the academy started to improve. She had at first attributed it to simply being more focused, but now she knew it was because the practical application of skills was giving her an inside track on most of the exams. Why hadn't she noticed it until now? Maybe she did and just didn't want to admit it.

Still laying on her bed, Sakura let her mind run through the past like a cheap roll of film. Flashes of the months upon months of reconnaissance work, sneaking around the village, going through trash, and betraying the people that were responsible for her wellbeing. It would be stupid not to think that those things wouldn't make her into a better ninja. She'd just been fooling herself into thinking she was the victim.

Even though she had been locked up in her room for hours, Sakura still felt emotionally drained. Tomorrow she would meet her Jounin team leader and her job would get even more dangerous. She wasn't a victim any longer, just a willing participant. Kabuto had both taken away her choice and given her one; just one word to ANBU and he would die. Sakura had studied the seal and knew it would take a few moments to work. She could get out enough clues before it killed her.

However, it **was** a choice and Sakura had no desire to die. She was weak-willed, pathetic, scared. She called herself all these things but not matter how she berated herself she could not bring about her own death. Thus, she endured and slowly it became easier. That there was nothing being obtained in return was the last vestige of refuge her mind had been grasping onto, the only way Sakura could retain any kind of conscience about what she was doing. But that was stripped away.

So, what was left? Just living, day by day, until some way out presented itself. Given how deep in she was, Sakura didn't see that happening any time soon. That just left living. Sakura could at least do that.

"I slept too long," Sakura sighed, dragging her mind away from her black thoughts. It was now nearly dark and she wasn't the least bit sleepy.

Deciding to at least use her time wisely, the girl slinked out of bed and off to her shower. She had fallen asleep in her clothes and maybe a fresh change would wake her up. As she was often prone to do, she ran over what she needed to do for the next day while the water spilled over her, relaxing the muscles in her shoulders and back.

She hadn't tried to study the encryption key today. She could spend the rest of the night on that until she got tired. She had already decided that it was music-based earlier, but beyond that nothing else presented itself.

After drying off and changing, Sakura retrieved the papers from under her desk. The notes were arranged, in staffs, across all the pieces of paper. Under each note was a symbol that she recognized as basic seal representations. However, these seal representation, hundreds in order, were originally a language in and of themselves. Each hidden village would use them to communicate before common language came into practice. In a way, the messages from the key would be sent in hieroglyphs that made up word parts. What was more, the note positions on the staffs seemed to change which symbol would be used, or if a symbol would be used for that note at all, so the codes could take on multiple dimensions.

Sakura ran a hand through her hair in frustration. This system was much more advanced than the ones she had learned at the academy. It used several sets of symbols and a type of transposition cipher. The trick to it was simply to memorize everything, which Sakura set out to do. She had an eidetic memory, though, so it wouldn't be too bad. She tried out a few sample ciphers, putting in standard information. Her form was somewhat sloppy, but she also didn't have to look at the original cards for reference.

Beside Sakura's desk, an inconspicuous piece of paper hanging on the wall suddenly started flashing red. The seals placed into it had been triggered by a source of chakra being near the sister seal, which was on the roof of Sakura's house. She had begun to put rudimentary warning seals up as soon as the academy began teaching them.

_'Have I been discovered?!' _Sakura's first instinct was to sweep all of her papers onto the floor and hop into bed. That, of course, would only make her look more guilty. It was hard to fight down that reaction, though. Instead, the student continued to pretend to study, knowing that she couldn't be seen from where the alarm seal had been triggered.

When the alarm ended a few moments later, the girl let out a breath and slumped over onto her desk. It was just some random idiot using her house as a thoroughfare, then. The trigger seal hadn't been disturbed so it wasn't disarmed. A second later, though, a different alarm on another part of the roof went off, only to stop a second later.

What was going on tonight? Usually ninja didn't use roofs like this out of common courtesy. That two different people would do so in one night, in the space of a few seconds, meant that something was going on. There hadn't been a general alarm yet, though, so Sakura wasn't forbidden from investigating.

As she climbed out of her window, the Genin could see several ninja leaping around. Their pattern was erratic, as if they were searching for something. Sakura wished she could move around as fast as them, though. Having to use hand and footholds to get up to her roof was annoying, but that level of chakra control wasn't taught at the academy.

A foot landed right next to Sakura's head as she was pulling herself up to the roof and despite herself, she let out a surprised yelp. Shockingly, though, so did the ninja that had nearly stepped on her.

"S-Sorry!" Sakura didn't know why she was the one apologizing, but startling what looked like a Chunin wasn't good for long-term advancement. "Oh! It's you, Suzume-sensei!" The curly-haired woman was one of Sakura's teachers at the academy.

After composing herself, the Chunin helped the girl get up onto the roof. "Sakura! You, um, startled me!" She wouldn't admit that her former student had scared the crap out of her. "What are you doing out this late, young lady?"

Sakura pointed to one of the tags she had on her house. "The alarm was tripped." It wasn't unusual for ninja to place alarms on their houses, so hopefully Suzume wouldn't think it so odd.

Indeed, the woman nodded in understanding. "Well, you should get back inside. There is a village-wide search going on at the moment and we don't need to be distracted."

"A search?" For the entire village to be out looking for something...had there been an incident? "Is ANBU involved?"

Suzume shook her head. "Just the Chunin and Jounin. Someone stole a very important sealing scroll from Hokage-sama's home and we have to recover it."

From the Hokage's own _house?_ How the hell did that happen? "Weren't their guards? Traps? Seals on the doors?" Sakura didn't mean to sound condescending, but it was beyond her belief that someone could sneak into the home of the village's leader.

"Hokage-sama has never enjoyed having guards. He said it reminded him too much of the war." Suzume sounded fairly upset about the lax in security herself. Something seemingly clicked in her mind, though. "Sakura, you were classmates with Uzumaki Naruto, weren't you? Do you know where he could be? Maybe if he wanted to hide?"

"Wait, wait, wait..._**Naruto**_ stole this scroll?! From the Hokage himself?!" What was wrong with this village? An academy student stole what looked to be an extremely important scroll from what should have been the most secure building in the entire village. Seeing that Suzume was growing impatient, though, she calmed down and answered. "We didn't know each other very well, sensei. Have you tried to academy grounds yet?" That was about the only place Sakura could think of.

Of course, Suzume responded that it was the first place people had looked. The entire school grounds had practically been torn apart looking for the little thief. His apartment, the riverfront, his favorite restaurants; anywhere that he could possibly be. It was all for naught, though. The boy had simply disappeared.

"If you think of anywhere he could be, flag down a Chunin." Suzume looked a few houses over and nodded to one of the other searchers. "I'm going on ahead, but don't stay out too long." With that, she disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

That left Sakura alone, standing on her roof and looking like an idiot. All around her were Chunin searching for an academy student that had managed to steal one of the Hokage's personal scrolls. How Naruto of all people had managed that was confounding enough, but why he even wanted it was even more cloudy. A Genin couldn't make use of something like that.

_'Then again, if I can find him first..._' The gears in Sakura's head began to turn. A scroll of sealing could be very, very useful to someone who had a death seal on their body. Perhaps there was some kind of countermeasure in the scroll that could free Sakura of the one placed on her tongue? Even if there wasn't anything in it relating to her, the girl was sure she could find something to report in for the month.

There was a problem, though. If Chunin and Jounin couldn't find Naruto, then how was Sakura supposed to? Standing around wasn't helping, so the girl hopped to the next house. The other ninja had stopped paying attention to her, seemingly not minding her poking around. That made things a bit easier.

Sakura tried to think it out logically. If she had been the one to steal a scroll from the Hokage where would she go with it? Certainly not back home; that would be the first place anyone would look. Not her favorite places, either. Suzume had said that the academy and riverfront were already checked. That only left the miles and miles of woods that made up one section of the village. They were mostly used for survival training and a buffer in case of invasion. That would be the best place. However, Sakura knew that everyone else would come to that same conclusion. The woods were probably crawling with ninja. If they hadn't found Naruto yet, it wouldn't take them very much longer.

The girl hopped down from the roof she had landed on and stared at the wide expanse of forest in front of her. She had picked the most direct route from the Hokage's home to here, knowing enough about Naruto that he wouldn't know to hide his trail. Being so late, the shadows cast by the trees in the streetlights' illumination loomed over the girl, casting a sinister shadow over her form. It was like the forest was drawing her in.

She slapped her cheeks, snapping herself out of that outlandish thinking. It was just dark and her eyes were playing tricks on her. The benefits of heading in far outweighed the negatives in this situation. She could be free! F-R-E-E from that seal hanging over her head. It was either avoid the scary forest or not have a death seal.

_'Like I have a choice,'_ Sakura thought as she bounded into the trees. This opportunity couldn't be passed up.

These trees were fairly young, only a few decades old. The underbrush wasn't so heavy that Sakura couldn't run on the ground. Even if she could move through the trees as well as a Chunin, she would have to get close to see any signs of her query. She was quite lucky; if the forest were older it would look like some of the southern lands with trees the size of the Hokage monument.

Sakura was no great tracker. Traps, seals, and general knowledge were her strengths. However, she could at least tell when something was disturbed. The ground under her feet looked like it had been trampled on recently, but whether it was from Naruto or some other ninja was debatable. What it did say was that Sakura was on the right track. Even if it was someone else that meant that Sakura was onto something with her line of thinking. Stopping for a moment to really look around, she discovered an actual footprint. It was too small to be an adult so unless another Genin was around it was Naruto.

It was worrying, though. This roundabout path was taking her far longer to track than she thought possible. It wasn't deviating very much so Naruto obviously knew where he was going. Perhaps he had something prearranged back here?

Soon, a trail began to form in the brush. It wasn't well-worn, but it was noticeable in contrast to the otherwise wild forest. Sakura jumped onto it and followed it, headless of track marks now. If Naruto came this way it was logical to think that he'd use this path.

"N-Naruto! Whatever happens, don't give him the scroll!"

Bingo. Sakura had come upon what looked like a small cabin and ducked around the back of it. That voice from before was certainly Iruka's and she guessed he had found Naruto. Suppressing her chakra as much as possible, she inched around until she could see into the clearing the shack was built in front of. From her vantage point, she could see someone sitting up in a tree at the other side of the clearing, but not what he was looking at.

"That scroll has forbidden ninjutsu written inside! Mizuki used you to get it."

It sounded as if Iruka and Naruto were in front of the house. That meant that the person in the tree had to be Mizuki. Sakura got the distinct feeling that she had intruded in the middle of something, given how haggard Iruka's voice was. Mizuki looked armed to the teeth, but he wasn't approaching.

"Hey, Naruto. There's no point in you keeping that scroll," Mizuki was saying. "I'll tell you the truth!"

As Iruka screamed out for Mizuki to stop, Sakura's shoulders slumped. She didn't know what was going on between Iruka and Mizuki, but from the sounds of it Mizuki had the same idea Sakura herself did about the scroll.

The now-exposed traitor was saying something about the Kyuubi attack. Sakura, like most everyone else she was friends with, was too young to remember it in person. However, some of the scars from the battle could still be seen on the land and on the people of Konoha. Hundreds had died, after all. What a natural disaster like that had to do with the scroll, Sakura didn't know.

"There's a certain rule. No one is allowed to talk about the fact that _you_, Naruto, are the Kyuubi!" Iruka was practically begging the other Chunin to stop now. "The same thing that killed Iruka's parents is sealed inside of you! Lied to by everyone! That's why they hate you! The same thing goes for Iruka because how could he not?"

Sakura couldn't stop the gasp that she let out. The demon that had nearly destroyed the village was _inside_ Naruto?! That was impossible! She wanted to believe that the Hokage wouldn't do something like that, but Iruka's pleas to stop confirmed it.

_'That thing...my father...'_ Sakura's hand dug into the dirt as her head began to spin. She had lost her father, the rightful heir to the Haruno clan, to the beast. It was because of that monster half everyone in Konoha had the same childhood as her. How could the village, how could anyone, think that letting the Kyuubi into the academy was a good thing? Wasn't it enough that it had nearly killed an entire generation? That monster could kill the entire village!

"Naruto, you must have been in a lot of pain, too," Iruka said, his voice coming out as an odd gurgle. "I-If I had done a better job, you wouldn't have to feel like this."

Was that..._sympathy_? Sakura didn't want to believe it: that her teacher was coddling the very thing that had killed his parents. Naruto was an idiot, that was true, but that thing was inside of him! It should be killed, it should be driven away, not coddled. Naruto was literally a bomb waiting to go off.

What was more, how lucky had she herself been that it hadn't gone off around her?

Sakura didn't know how long she stayed behind that shed, too frightened and rattled to leave her hiding place. The voices were gone, having moved away minutes ago, but the girl couldn't make her body go. How could she after learning that the person you had been kicking around for the last few years had the thing that nearly annihilated the village locked up inside him?

Why hadn't anyone said anything? Mizuki said that it was a rule and Iruka seemed to know about it as well. Was it just the ninja of the village or everyone? Her mother had never mentioned it, nor had anyone else Sakura knew. They just let that...that..._thing_ mingle with them! If it were a village-wide order, then it had to come from the Hokage and the counsel. That meant so many chains of command knew that the Kyuubi was lurking in the very village it tried to destroy.

The sun was just starting to break through the trees when Sakura finally got to her feet. Her body was still on autopilot as she started off toward home. It was insane; this conspiracy reached up to the highest echelons of power in Konoha. "How could they?" Sakura hissed. She knew that everyone at the academy had lost someone during the Kyuubi attack. How could the Hokage force them to work with Naruto? How could the teachers not tell them?!

Sakura knew that things could get sealed inside other things, that was one of the fundamentals of the sealing arts, but putting something the size of the Kyuubi inside of a human couldn't be safe. It could break out and then what? Why it hadn't already done so was beyond Sakura's knowledge of such things. The Kyuubi was a walking natural disaster and Naruto wasn't much better. How much had he already been compromised by the demon? Had it already taken over Naruto?

Suddenly, Sakura broke out into a cold sweat. If that demon was in control, then all those times Naruto had hit on her were it. She quickly started to dry heave in fear and disgust. Fear because of what she did to the boy after such attempts and disgust because of a _demon_ being interested in her.

The village was calmed down by the time Sakura wandered back on the streets. No more ninja leaping around at least. Although she was just aimlessly wandering around, Sakura soon found herself on the road that lead to the academy. It was morning and the team meetings would be starting soon. Having nothing better to do, Sakura decided to arrive early and get her thoughts together. Her mother would probably be worried, but the girl didn't know if she could face her mother without accusing her of knowing about the Kyuubi.

In fact, seeing most of the adults on the street forced Sakura to keep herself from sneering. They all were in the loop. How could they keep such a thing a secret? Didn't they care that their children were learning side-by-side with a demon?

When she arrived in her classroom several minutes later, she still didn't have an answer. Was secrecy so important that the Hokage would risk the lives of everyone in the village? There were far more questions to this question than there were answers.

"Sakura? Why are you here?"

Surprised, the girl looked up from the random desk she had slumped down into to see one of her instructors, arms full of books, looking rather confused.

"Today is the team announcements?" It came out as a question because, looking around, there wasn't anyone in the classroom.

The teacher looked even more confused.. "Iruka in the hospital until tomorrow, thus the assignments have been postponed. Didn't you get the note the administration sent to all students? It should have been at your house."

Great. That was wonderful. Sakura slumped down even farther into her chair and let her head rest against the desk. Of course there wouldn't be any class today. Iruka was probably half-dead from dealing with Mizuki. Sakura felt a rush of shame go through her as she remembered how she had simply hid behind that shed, hoping to not be discovered by either the traitor or Naruto.

Fearful of the person she had kicked around for years.

"I guess I left before it arrived," the girl lied. She was secretly thankful for the extra day. Seeing Naruto or Iruka, even if it was just for one more day, could push her over the edge. After tomorrow, though, she'd never have to see that monster ever again. "Is there anything I can do while I'm here?"

"They're still holding the official photographs on the second floor," the teacher replied. "It's a little early, but I'm sure the photographer will make an exception."

After saying her thanks to the teacher, Sakura excused herself and headed up to get photographed after fixing herself up in a restroom. Being out all night had left slight bags under her eyes and her clothes were scruffy, but it the photographer said it made for a "tough" look.

"I wish all the kids were like you two," the old man sighed as he printed out Sakura's official ninja registration. "Though, that kid has you beat by a few hours."

Beat her? Who could have possibly gotten there before Sakura? The girl had practically walked in at the crack of dawn. Before she had the chance to question, however, the door behind her creaked open.

"Sakura-chan!"

And then, Sakura screamed. And unearthly _wail_, really, that rattled anyone that heard it to the bone. The cause? Uzumaki Naruto, in **war paint**, was standing right in front of her.

"God, kid, you've got a set of lungs on you," the old photographer muttered. Turning to Naruto, he said, "And you! It took you three hours to come up with _that?_ Can't you take this seriously?!"

As Naruto tried to avoid a tongue lashing, Sakura was pulling herself together. He didn't even look injured, she noted. He must have came straight here after whatever happened to Mizuki. The girl didn't want to know how he had gotten out of that without a scratch considering Iruka was in the hospital.

"You want to go get some ramen after I get my picture taken, Sakura-chan?" Naruto happily chirped. Either he didn't notice or care about how uncomfortable the target of his interest was looking at the moment.

"N-No thank you, Naruto. I've got to go home and help my mom clean up." She was already half way out the door by now. "Maybe next time!"

Both photographer and Naruto were left staring at the rapid exit. The former, feeling sorry for the obvious brush off, readied his camera for the picture without any more fuss. "Why are you smiling so much, kid?" he asked once he looked through the lens. That was rough for a little kid like that, but it looked like it didn't bother the blond.

Maybe the little brat was more mature than he looked?

Naruto just kept smiling. "That's the nicest she's ever been to me! Best day ever!" he replied, practically hopping up and down in excitement. "I should change the paint again, though!" And then, just that quick, Naruto was back out the door in search of a mirror.

"...I hate kids," the old man sighed before grabbing his pipe. It would be a long wait...


	3. Chapter 3

As always, the Hokage Tower was a looming reminder of power in the hidden village of Konoha. Though not substantially taller than the surrounding buildings, the great pillars that ringed the top cast an ominous shadow for blocks. While the lobby was open for people to come and go as they requested missions, the second floor and up were strictly for shinobi use. As such, they were under guard. This was the first time Sakura had ever been here, even in the lobby, so she wasn't sure where to go at first. Since it was so early, there wasn't anyone around to direct her so the girl simply walked over to the nearest guards.

She clutched her profile just a bit harder as she caught the attention of the guards on duty. The Chunin on duty gave her a dirty look that almost sent Sakura scurrying away, but finally relenting when they saw the hitai-ate hidden in her mop of pink hair.

"Business?" one of them asked.

"Reporting to the Hokage to log my name on the official ninja register," Sakura replied. This was something that everyone had to do once they had their official picture taken. She was the first one here, though. Given how early it was, that wasn't any shock.

The guards looked over the registration form and stepped to the side. "Second floor, third subsidiary meeting hall," the nearest Chunin stated as he opened the door. That was all the direction Sakura was going to get, apparently.

It took some doing, and several embarrassing instances of barging into someone's office, before Sakura finally found the room where she was supposed to be. Unfortunately, the Hokage was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was no one in the room and it was bare with the exception of a table and chair set out in the middle. Stepping over to that, Sakura took her seat in the chair, expecting that the Hokage would take the table when he arrived. At least she had a great view of the village from where she was sitting; the meeting room was an open veranda of sorts. She could see the smoke coming from the morning burners, hear the faint "clang-clang" from the weapons forges that surrounded the tower, and see the crowds starting to form on the market street. In just a few hours the city would be filled with open-air shops and people browsing them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sakura jumped in her seat as someone caught her off-guard. It was an elderly man, probably in his mid-sixties, wearing the robes of a village elder. Half his head was bandaged up and his only visible eye was closed. If he had been looking at the scenery, he wasn't now.

The girl stood and bowed. "I-I'm sorry, Sir! I should have waited outside for the meeting to start and-"

Waving her off, the odd councilman walked around to the desk and brazenly took the center chair without fanfare. "It is no matter. Coincidentally, I am here to see the Sandaime as well."

Now feeling quite foolish for being so flustered, Sakura retook her seat. She didn't relax, though. It was like being under a microscope; alone in a room with an elder. Even though his eye was closed, Sakura felt that he was studying her.

"So, is this your profile?" the elderly man eventually asked, looking over a sheet of paper. Sakura was about to correct him when she realized her profile sheet was no longer in her hand. When had he taken it?!

Ignoring the Genin's amazement, the councilman went on. "Your marks are impressive for a female. Near the top of your class in tactical and analytical skills." Sakura's ego puffed up. "However, your chakra and jutsu skills are lacking even for an academy student." And then it burst like a soap bubble. "Are you certain you wish to graduate with these skills?"

What to say to that? Sakura didn't know how to respond to a councilmember basically saying she wasn't cut out to be a ninja. It wasn't like she could disagree or tell him that he was mistaken in his assessment. He had probably been a ninja longer than her or her parents had been alive!

Thankfully, Sakura was spared further embarrassment by a new arrival. "Basic abilities can improve over time, Danzo. What is important is a strong will and a drive to be great."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had arrived.

Danzo, the elderly councilman that had been speaking to Sakura, lazily rose from the chair he was seated in and hobbled over to the Hokage. "I wish to speak with you about your...pet project," he said, forgetting Sakura completely and disregarding Sarutobi's argument.

"I assumed you would. Find me after these interviews are over." That was all the Hokage was going to say on the matter and Danzo seemingly understood that. He inclined his head in acceptance and brushed past the other elderly man.

He was almost out of the door before Sakura found her voice. She again bolted up and bowed. "Thank you, Danzo-sama, for your advice." Even though it was short, she had just had a meeting with a village elder. A contact that high up in the food chain could only help her.

"...Indeed." With that, the bandaged man was gone.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as the Hokage and his advisors took their seats. Since Sakura was early, she was forced to wait while they set-up for a long day of interviews. From the amount of paperwork they brought with them, it seemed that most of the class had passed. It wasn't unheard of, but it was rare. She wondered how they would gather up so many Jounin for them, though.

Finally, the Hokage sat down in his chair and motioned for his two aides to do so as well. "Haruno Sakura: graduated with high honors in academics and secondary honors in tactics and teamwork." The elderly man was reading off of a secondary book he had brought with him. "Iruka's notes say you were always an exemplary student, but recently you've branched out with your studies. That's impressive for a Genin."

Sakura fought not to wince as yet another person brought up how much she's changed in the last year. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." It was bad enough that she had ran out of class yesterday; she couldn't do that every time someone complimented her.

Besides, why should she even feel guilty? The man sitting in front of her had hid something as dangerous as the Kyuubi in a school full of children for years. If they were comparing atrocities here, then spying on the village was surely ranked lower than endangering that same village.

"So, since you are qualified, do you have any questions?" the Hokage asked. His patient tone snapped Sakura out of her musing and she sat up straight. "I understand how nervous you must be," he said, misunderstanding the girl's reaction, "but now is the time to ask. Tomorrow you'll be meeting with your Jounin team leaders and I'm sure they'll have something for you to do on your first day so you might not get a chance to question them."

Well, since he insisted. "Do you decide teams? Like, who goes in which team?" Maybe she could get into Sasuke's team right now? It would certainly lift her spirits!

The Hokage nodded. "With input from the graduating class's instructor. We usually break teams up into specialized groups; infiltration, tracking, combat, etcetera. There are a few traditions that we still use, of course, such as family combinations that worked well in the past, matching the lowest-scoring student with the highest, and a two male, one female formation. It balances things out."

"For example, a combat team could get the best student, the worst student and the student who had a high level of procedural knowledge to guide them on how to act professional." The Hokage smiled he said this. "Such a team would likely already be decided. Hypothetically, of course."

Sakura's mind had already begun to fit her class into what the Hokage was saying. Sasuke was, of course, the highest-scoring student in the academy in everything. After him, it was broken up into specialties: Kiba was probably the best at taijutsu, Shikamaru was fairly good at ninjutsu when he serious, and it was anyone's guess who was the best at genjutsu since it wasn't something that academy students were really taught. So, that meant that Sasuke was the first in a team.

The lowest-scoring person was Naruto. He didn't stand out in any areas and he couldn't even do many basic academy jutsu without coaching. If he were being put on a team with Sasuke, then that would leave a girl with high marks in procedure and general knowledge. It couldn't be Ino, either, because she would probably be slated with Shikamaru and Chouji. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation was practically divine in some circles so Sakura doubted it would be split-up. Other than Ino, though, that only left Hinata and herself as talented kunoichi in the class. The rest just sort of blended in with the background, hovering around the middle of the class in terms of grades.

The Hyuuga heir would be a logical choice: she was from a clan background, the same as Sasuke, could probably tolerate Naruto's mouth. However, Hinata had never stood out as being very knowledgeable. She hardly ever answered general study questions, always sitting at the back and out of the way.

Couldn't there be anyone else to fill that gap? Sakura realized how her attitude had flipped from wanting to be on Sasuke's team to not wanting to be on Naruto's, but she didn't care. If she was on the same team as the Kyuubi container, then she would be on the frontline should Naruto lose it. Not even Sasuke could protect her from that thing! However, there was no way around it.

"...I'm going to be on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke, aren't I?" Sakura half asked, half sighed. It was a total catch-22: if she protested being on Naruto's team on the grounds of him being unsafe to work with, the Hokage would ask her reasoning which would lead to her sneaking around at night. From there, an official investigation would probably take place and they would find something that incriminated her as a spy and then kill her for that. Either way, her life was going to be in danger.

The Hokage's eyes widened a slight bit. "You figured that out already? Iruka wasn't exaggerating with his praise."

It wasn't exactly praise that the girl wanted. There was nothing happy about this situation, Sakura concluded. She wished she hadn't ever asked how the teams would be picked; now she would dwell on this all night and not get any sleep.

"I trust that you will be discrete with this knowledge. Tomorrow is the official day when teams are selected and we could have problems with students trying to bully their way into certain teams."

Sakura understood. She'd probably draw most of the female academy population's ire by being in a team with Sasuke. They'd probably even put up with Naruto for it. Of course, they didn't know what kind of risk he was, though that probably wouldn't stop a few of them.

The rest of the meeting passed with little more in way of surprises. There were forms on top of forms to sign, most of them relating to the passage of information to civilians and other villages. Of course, the penalties for spying were restated, even underlined, but Sakura signed them without skipping a beat. Next to dealing with a demon, getting caught for something like that was small potatoes. After an hour the Hokage cut her loose, saying that everything else would be taken care of by his staff. He did reiterate once more about keeping the team selection to herself, though.

Like she would tell anyone from her class! Sakura let out a snort as she finally got back on the street. It was mid-morning and she was feeling pretty wiped out. She had been out nearly all night and all morning, but she couldn't go to sleep and mess up her sleep cycle. Besides, there was still something to do before tomorrow.

The Hokage wasn't going to help with Naruto. From the little he had talked about the boy, it was obvious he held some kind of twisted fondness for him. Sakura couldn't understand it; the thing inside of Naruto had killed the last Hokage! Was the Sandaime so confident in his own abilities that he didn't care? Somehow, that frail old man didn't look like he could succeed where the Fourth failed.

All of this thinking wasn't doing anything, though. Sakura needed to take action. She had went over one year watching out for herself, avoiding being hung as a traitor, and she wouldn't let some demon locked in an idiot kill her. This would require more than subtly and quick-thinking, however. You couldn't talk a demon out of not ripping you into pieces. You just had to avoid being killed and that was something Sakura had trained herself to do.

Thus, the girl now found herself walking in the direction of one of the apartment complexes near the hospital. Konoha was a walled city and housing inside of the walls was always a concern for civilians. For active duty shinobi, though, there were special units that were rent-controlled and never full. That was where she was heading.

Before she had started eavesdropping in Chunin hangouts, Sakura would have never known about such things such as paying rent, utilities, finding a good apartment, or generally living as an adult. She was only twelve, after all. The Genin didn't think she'd have to worry about something like that...ever. Her plan in life was to graduate, get close to Sasuke, and move in with him after they got married.

Looking back, that was a very simple plan. Hearing Chunin complain about paying bills and actually living with a wife had put things into perspective. Besides, thanks to being recruited as a spy, any long-term plans were nothing more than wishful thinking. Who was to thank for that, though? Yakushi Kabuto. The very owner of the door she was now standing in front of.

One. Two. Three knocks and no answer. Maybe his team had a mission or maybe he knew who it was that was calling upon him? Kabuto had been adamant about not coming to his home unless it was an emergency.

"Coming," came a very groggy voice from somewhere in the apartment. When the door opened, he stuck his head out and was still wiping the sleep from his eyes. "Sorry, I was asleep."

"Glad I woke you up, then," Sakura spat as she pushed her way inside. Kabuto protested at first before realizing who it was and closing the door. His apartment was, just as the pink-haired girl remembered: immaculate. There was not a thing out of place.

"What did I tell you about coming here?" the older spy sighed. "If you were followed-"

"I wasn't," Sakura cut in. She didn't want to let Kabuto work up a lecture so she flopped down on his couch, taking a small delight in the young man's irritation at the pillows being messed up. "Look, I have a good reason for being here. I want to make an exchange."

Seeing as the couch was already messed up, Kabuto took a seat at the other end. "An exchange? You haven't tried this in awhile, Sakura-san." He was referring to the first few weeks of her "employment" as a spy. She had tried every angle to get out of having to do anything, promising everything from a cut of her yearly income to any one-time favor that he could call in at any point in her life. The arguments that Sakura had come up with had entertained Kabuto for hours each day.

"Nothing like that," the girl assured. "I want you to teach me something."

Now that was new. Kabuto didn't even try to stop his eyebrows from raising clear over the rim of his glasses. "And why would I do something like that?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Sakura shrugged in a lazy way. "Because I'm doing your dirty work? I could probably do my job better if you taught me something." Of course, she knew that Kabuto wouldn't buy that argument, but she had to try and get what she wanted for free first. "And because I can tell you something I guarantee you don't know. Something that would make you look pretty good to whomever you report to."

Now Kabuto was hooked. "This is a new tactic for you, Sakura-san," he pointed out, putting on his best poker face. "What kind of information could you possibly have that I couldn't get myself?"

"Obviously you think I could get to some things or else you never would have recruited me," the young spy pointed out.

"You're only alive because having you gather gossip gives me time to do other functions," Kabuto countered. "Sitting hours upon hours in ratty restaurants and going through garbage to get financial records is not something I couldn't do."

"Could you find out who the Kyuubi container is?"

Kabuto's startled look was all Sakura needed to confirm that she'd hit pay dirt. The spy was only nineteen years old and he hadn't even been a Genin at the time the demon had attacked. Only the adult ninja or their spouses would have any inkling as to what Naruto actually was.

"You're getting better at this," Kabuto murmured as he let out a sigh. "I'm sure I could find out who it was, but I've never taken the time to do so." Well, he had to say something to salvage his image. "What is it going to cost me?"

"Something to make sure the container doesn't kill me if it goes nuts." Sakura only hoped that there was such a thing. "I'll be in close proximity to it so I want a way to get out of dodge. You do know something like that, right?"

The teen scrunched up his face in thought. "And how do you know you'll be close to the Kyuubi?"

"I'll tell you after you hold up your end of the deal."

Kabuto clicked his teeth and made his way into the depths of his apartment. Several minutes later, he came back with several scrolls and, oddly, a sheet of white paper. Kabuto held out the paper to Sakura, but held onto the scrolls. "Take it."

It didn't seem very dangerous so the girl did as asked. When her fingers touched it, Sakura felt something flow into her. "What is this?" It wasn't like anything she had ever encountered before. I seemed as if the paper would actually draw in her chakra like a sponge if she let it.

"That's a nice piece of paper you gave me. Do you want a written contract or something? You know I won't, or rather can't, double-cross you on this."

Kabuto shook his head. "Channel your chakra through it. I have to know exactly what to teach you."

Although she was confounded as to why screwing around with paper would help, Sakura did as instructed. The second she ran her chakra into the paper, it began to crinkle and warp in her hands until it turned brown and crumbled away.

"Earth nature, then," Kabuto mumbled, ignoring the confused look on Sakura's face. He took one of the scrolls he had brought out with him and handed it to the girl. "Doton jutsu. This is a copy of a scroll given out to Iwagakure ninja after they've been a Genin for a few months. There are a few jutsu in there for hiding under the ground, probably along the lines that you want." When Sakura moved to take the scroll, however, he pulled back. "Forgetting something? This is a trade."

Sakura scowled. "I haven't forgotten, but I don't trust you to give me the scroll after I tell you." She was being childish, but then again it was Kabuto: there was no reason to not act like a brat. "You give me the scroll first, I look it over, then I tell you who the container is. It's not as if I could get away from you."

Even Kabuto had to admit the soundness of that argument so he handed over the parchment. Sakura broke the seal on it and unrolled it a bit to get an idea of what was there. Just as Kabuto said, most were Doton jutsu, complete with instructions, seals, and effects. Somewhere on this list there had to be something she could use.

"Alright," the girl said after a moment, "I believe you. I overheard Mizuki speaking with Iruka last night. I assume you already know that Uzumaki Naruto stole something last night?" Kabuto nodded. "Right. That was a scroll of some kind that he took from the Hokage's private collection. I don't know why he did it, but if I had to guess it would be because Mizuki told him to. At least, Naruto wasn't in prison this morning when I saw him." Sakura was deliberately going around how she had came across Mizuki and Naruto in the woods. She didn't want Kabuto knowing that she was looking for a way around the seal he had placed on her. "I overheard Mizuki going on about the Kyuubi...and how it was sealed inside of Naruto."

The spy leaned back into his couch with a thoughtful expression. "And you're certain that this information is reliable?"

"Iruka was there as well and seemed really upset that Mizuki was talking about it. I don't think both would lie for no reason."

"Indeed." Lazily, Kabuto made a shooing motion with his hand. "I have to make a report on this, so..." he let himself trail off.

Sakura didn't want to stay any longer than she had to, so she happily obliged and hopped off the couch. Just as she was almost to the door, though, Kabuto began thinking out loud.

"You never did tell me why you were so afraid of the Kyuubi. Since our business is concluded, perhaps you could enlighten me?"

"He's on my team. I have to survive somehow." Sakura smirked when she saw Kabuto's frustrated expression: if she had told him that before time he could have deduced it tomorrow when teams were selected.

Kabuto let out a groan, knowing that exact same thing. "I said it once, but you are certainly growing into your role. I don't even know how you could have gotten that information before it was official." One of his biggest jobs was to get him and the other two spies on the same team. It had taken weeks of preparation and subtle manipulation of their academy teacher and grades.

Sakura ignored the knot that formed in her stomach because of the insinuation she was a good spy. She didn't know if it was a good thing it no longer affected her so bad or not, but there was nothing to be done. "At least I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun," she sighed, not noticing the way the teen took a renewed interest in her. "I'll leave you to your report, Kabuto. I'm going to try and make sense of this scroll."

The bespeckled spy hmm'd to himself as the door to his apartment closed. "Sakura-san, perhaps you have even more uses than I had first thought." The Kyuubi and this new development to report: Orochimaru was sure to be pleased...

* * *

It was high noon in Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Haruno Sakura was doing her level best to turn a pebble into sand.

Not a rock, not a boulder. One. Single. Pebble.

The scroll she had been given was good. Too good, actually. It was clearly meant for students who had spent their entire lives learning various Iwa training methods and doctrine. In Konoha, one would learn chakra concentration by making a leaf stick to one's head. It was a simple and effective way to teach and had been passed down generation to generation in the Land of Fire.

In Iwa, however, chakra concentration was done by making two rocks stick to the tops of your shoe as you walked around. Such a little change wouldn't seem very different, but it created a lower sense of chakra concentration that Iwa-nin had to have since they were so close to the soil. Most of their jutsu also ran chakra through their legs and into the ground while Konoha nin mostly ran it through their upper body. It was very difficult, even for veteran nins, to adapt to a different concentration.

Sakura had finished all of that nearly an hour ago. Her own ability to manipulate chakra came in handy lowering her chakra center of gravity to her legs. Now that she had done it once, it was no problem to keep the rocks stuck to her feet no matter how she ran around or waved her leg.

The next step, though, proved far more difficult. The scroll only contained the most basic of reviews for Iwa academy jutsu and training techniques, assuming that whoever would use it was an Iwa-nin and thus had gone through their program. Sakura, though, was starting completely from scratch and had to fill-in any gaps with logical assumptions. So far it had worked, but the last exorcise, one designed to introduce Iwa academy students to the very basic principles of Doton jutsu, earth manipulation, was proving to be quite difficult.

It called for the destruction of a pebble. Theoretically, it could be a rock of any size and it wouldn't matter so long as you did the technique correctly. However, Sakura guessed that having a giant boulder placed in front of a student wouldn't be good for their confidence, thus the exorcise called for a small stone a few inches across. What she had to do with said stone was two-fold: one, she had to lace her chakra through it. This was incredibly difficult because it was actual nature manipulation, something not taught in Konoha's academy. From the little that Sakura did know about it, the process was akin to forcing her chakra to match the makeup of the rock. Without seals. And it should be instinctual.

The second part was far more difficult. As Sakura poured what little chakra she actually had into the stone, this became apparent. She had to basically alter the structure of the rock, changing it into something usable. In this case, she had to change it into sand, but that kind of drastic conversion was taking far more chakra than Sakura found herself having.

Disgusted and defeated, the girl tossed the aggravating rock away and slumped down to sit. She was completely wiped out from the events of last night and the earlier training. The jutsu she was trying to prepare for, the only one on the scroll which actually met Kabuto's promise, was a C-Class Doton which Sakura was certain she didn't have enough chakra for even with her amazing control and natural affinity.

The Moguragakure no Jutsu, otherwise known as the aptly-named "hiding like a mole technique", was one of the fundamental skills of Iwa, with it being the simple ability to hide, travel, and otherwise function underground. It involved turning the ground into sand and literally swimming through it. The scroll also stated that it could be used to surprise enemies, but Sakura was just focused on the hiding part. Should Naruto go insane, she would be able to put dozens of feet of stone and dirt between them. The only thing that could possibly limit the skill was how long Sakura could hold her breath.

All of that hinged on her ability to actually do the technique, though, and so far thing weren't going well. Manipulating the nature of stone was as taxing as it sounded and although she had completed the first real step, getting anywhere else was an effort in futility.

There had to be a trick to it that the scroll just wasn't showing. Then again, that wasn't surprising. So much was written on the thing that it would already be a security risk: it wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe a Genin would simply leave it behind somewhere during a mission. Improbable, but not impossible. Certainly it was at risk of being looted off of a corpse. It only made sense that the inner secrets of Doton jutsu, which Iwa prided itself in, would be omitted.

So annoying! Sakura slammed her hand down into the dirt, kicking up some dust. She was close to getting the basic theory of this jutsu, she just knew she was! It was all a matter of getting the precise nature alignment and using it to cut through the soil. Her train of thought had gone thus: If she could turn a stone into sand, then she should be able to do the same with the ground itself. Sakura was actually proud of that simple training method and she doubted Iwa itself was doing much better. The only reason she had gotten this far at all was because of her own ingenuity, after all.

She flexed her fingers and let the loose soil of the training ground sift under her hand. It wasn't packed very tightly, probably due to all the trees in the area loosening it up. There were quite a few rocks here, though. Sakura wondered if this really was the best way to learn as she scooped one of them up. Again, she tried to push her chakra into it and once again she was rebuffed. Something was disrupting the flow.

Maybe there was something else to it, some trick that only Iwa-nin knew. Perhaps in the food or water of their home village? That idea was discarded immediately, though. Sakura knew that ninja here used Doton jutsu. Perhaps not this exact one, but probably something similar. If it wasn't some outside stimulant, though, then the problem was something she herself was or wasn't doing. That was an even bigger hurdle, though, because there were dozens of variables Sakura couldn't control. She was just a fresh Genin, after all, and learning a jutsu that was meant for a seasoned Iwa shinobi that had been out of academy training for months.

"Damn it," Sakura sighed. She usually didn't curse to keep up appearances around her friends and family, but out here she could let down her hair for a bit. "What am I doing wrong? Mold chakra, push it into the stone and grind it into sand. I can feel my chakra going into it, but I can't get it to deconstruct the rock. God, and I thought starting small would be easier. I have to be doing something that's screwing it up." It was a very vexing problem and once again she felt the urge to just hit something in frustration. She didn't always used to second-guess herself like this, Sakura thought. Being precise and methodical just came with her life these days. After all, Kabuto was the same way. It was a spy thing.

Now there was a horrifying thought. Sakura shivered at even comparing herself to Kabuto in any way. Even though she had come to terms with being a spy, she didn't want to become like her creepy gray-haired coworker.

"If I can't do it his way, maybe I should do it my way." A year ago Sakura would have just plowed ahead, relying on her superior intellect to troubleshoot anything that popped up. "Not like it can hurt at this point," the girl told herself. Taking a breath and grasping the stone in her hand, she pumped as much of her chakra into it as she could, not even stopping when her hand began to burn. To her relief, her chakra finally started to invade the foreign substance of the rock, changing it. A short time later, the smooth surface of the rock began to split like a piece of balsawood, erupting in a small explosion of small chunks of stone and sand.

Sakura flinched as a piece of the rock smacked her on the forehead. She hadn't expected it to explode. Still, she had done it! "Moguragakure no Jutsu: Success!" A wide smile slipped over her lips as she gingerly rolled the sand around in her palm. All of the spying, disloyalty, fear and self-loathing was gone for a brief moment as Sakura tasted the first fruits of her labor. She felt good, tired, but good, and why? Because she had grown. True, she wanted to learn the jutsu in case the Kyuubi ever went berserk, but she could use something like this on other things, such as getting Sasuke's attention. And she had only gotten this far because she was a spy. It was to her benefit to continue to do this...so long as she didn't give Kabuto anything major. Perhaps she could tease out some other jutsu.

Her eyes drifted down to the ground benefit her feet. Sakura was getting ahead of herself; all she had done was complete her own self-prescribed training procedure. The real test would begin now. She made a standard concentration seal and pushed her chakra down through the bottom of her feet and into the loose topsoil below her. To her surprise, it only took about as much as she had put into the rock to get into the dirt. "So, it takes the same amount of chakra for anything, no matter how big it is."

Now that the ground was laced with chakra, Sakura stooped over and thrust a hand into it. Unlike the rock, rather than exploding the ground was simply split into. The Genin's hand cut into it like a hot knife through butter and she changed more of it into sand so she could get in deeper. When she was up to her elbow, Sakura had to make a decision: either continue and hope everything worked out or continue to play it safe on the surface.

"Playing it safe didn't work before," Sakura told herself. With that, the girl took a breath and dove into the mire of sand and loose soil she had created, her body slipping into ground as easily as her hands.

Once under, she at once realized why having a lower sense of chakra concentration was a must. Her legs were doing most of the propulsion, pushing her along at a slow clip while her hands made wide, sweeping arcs in the ground before her. Also, rather than see with her eyes she had to reach out with chakra and avoid any roots that were in her way, having found that she couldn't get past them otherwise.

Although she was low on chakra, Sakura continued downwards. She wanted to see how far down she could get in one breath. If she only stayed a foot or so beneath the top, the Kyuubi could certainly snap her up. She would have to get way down, probably to bedrock, before she would feel safe. Oddly, when Sakura reached that goal, she felt some resistance. Well, there was still a bit of breath in her lungs so it wouldn't hurt to investigate. A bit more chakra and she felt the slightest shift in the solid slab beneath her. A lot more and it started to cave in as well. It looked like rock did need more chakra after all. Not too much of a problem considering how much topsoil Konoha had, though. Smiling, the Genin continued onwards, blithely ignoring how deep she was getting.

That was, of course, until she felt a horrible lurch in her chest. Sakura stopped abruptly at the sharp spasm, curling her body up and creating a small cavity in the ground that she open her eyes in. She used the space to clutch her heart and let out a harsh, raspy cough.

"T-This is my limit? I feel like I'm going to throw up." It shouldn't have been too surprising really. Each few seconds that went by, Sakura expended enough chakra to make several regular clones and she was already pretty tired. Well, it wasn't a problem at any rate. The ground above her was loose enough to crawl back out of without much energy expenditure. Also, there was enough ambient air to breath normally in the space she had hollowed out.

When Sakura went to crawl back up the way she came, however, she felt resistance. Far more resistance than she should have felt. To her horror, the ground had already resettled and the path she had came down in was just as dense as it used to be. Although she wasn't claustrophobic, Sakura soon started to suck in alarming amounts of oxygen as the situation dawned on her: trapped underground, no chakra left, running out of air. Even though Sakura was only a few feet down, it might has well have been a mile considering that she couldn't get out. There was a little air left in the small pocket of rocks and sand she had created and it would run out in a few minutes.

Sakura wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. Here she was, about to be killed by the very skill she had wanted to learn to avoid being killed. Unfortunately, laughing would probably use up what little air was left that much quicker, so she refrained. Then again, it might be best to just get it over with. Why suffer?

In the last year, the girl had thought about her own death a great deal. From being killed by Kabuto, being caught by the village and tortured to death, or, more recently, being mauled by a rampaging demon, many different morbid fantasies crossed her mind. Being buried alive, however, was not one of them. What was more, this was her own fault. She should have never gotten so carried away with the jutsu. Had she just experimented on the topsoil, she could have judged how much chakra it would use and avoided this situation. But no, she had gotten carried away and went straight down until she got to a point where the tunnel could no longer support itself. How many overzealous Iwa-nin had done this exact same thing? Probably why it was a C-Ranked jutsu.

The air was getting stagnant now and sand was starting to creep in, packing the girl in even more. The metallic taste of blood was washing over Sakura's lips from the cut inflicted on her when the shaft collapsed. She was going to die out in the middle of a training ground, buried, and leave her mother wondering for months, if not longer, about what happened to her.

So, this was it then. Death. She had tried, and failed, to dig her way out and calling for help would lead to questions about how she had gotten herself into this position, leading to eventual death when ANBU figured out where her new jutsu had come from. Any medical exam would probably notice the seal on her as well. Sakura didn't want to die, though. As hard as her life was, she had done it all just to continue living. To keep her sad existence intact and continuing. Betraying her village, her friends, her family. Everything.

"Then why am I letting myself die here?" Sakura rasped. There had to be a way out, but she was so focused on dying that she hadn't really tried. Her chakra was gone, so there was no way. What kind of thinking was that? "I'm a damn spy, aren't I? I'm better than this!"

It was odd, taking some kind of strength from a position she despised not even a day ago, but it was working. Sakura's abused joints and fingers weren't aching as bad and she felt her nerve start to return. If she had gotten down here, then she would get out. Sakura tried to feel around for anything that would help her, managing to get down to her weapon's pouch. She didn't have much, though. Just some scrolls, emergency rations, and her kunai.

Wait, kunai. What was it that Iruka-sensei had said when they were learning the history of ninja back in her first year? Didn't kunai start out as common garden trowels that peasants had used when their kings and lord wouldn't let them have weapons?

Seeing as her air was almost gone and her lungs were burning, Sakura decided that she didn't have a choice. Grasping the tool like grim death, she fought to get her arm above the rocks and sand that packed around her body. When she finally managed it, spots were forming in her vision. If they were rocks that were falling down from her attempts at digging upwards or the result of being out of oxygen, Sakura didn't know. She just kept slamming the kunai into the dirt above her. Inch by inch, second by second, she was slowly rising. Her legs were burning from all the cuts the rocks were putting on them as she struggled upwards, but the pain was keeping the girl awake.

Her eyes were burning as well from the dust and sand, but there was more air getting to her lungs. Even though she was only a few feet underground, every inch was a war. However, every inch proved Sakura was making headway. Finally, the darkness was split by a single ray of light. Even with her eyes full of tears and sand, Sakura could see it. She grasped franticly at it, forcing her bloodied fingers through the small crack until she felt the cool wind of the afternoon sweep over them. The sudden rush of air whipped Sakura up into a frenzy and she started to pound her fist at the small crack, widening it enough that she could snake her entire arm out. Using the ground as a leverage, she pulled her near-limp body out and collapsed.

Had she really done it? Sakura let out a ragged breath that made her body shake. She didn't even care that she was face-down in the dirt and drooling; the feeling of the waning sunlight on her back was more than enough encouragement to stay right where she was. The Genin did tilt her head over to the side so she could examine her hands. As expected, her fingernails were caked with dirt, grime and blood, but they weren't as bad off as the rest of her body.

"At least the stupid jutsu works," Sakura groaned. Her hands had been mostly protected by her own chakra and they had done their job of cutting through the ground. It wasn't the jutsu's fault she had ended up in that hole, but only Sakura's own stupidity. She was paying for it now: Using that much energy and chakra, on top of already being tired, left her entire body as one big ache. In school, chakra exhaustion was one thing above all that the teachers warned against because it damaged their developing inner coil system. Sakura wasn't quite at that point yet, but if she tried to get home it certainly would start to cost her. If Sakura were found now, she'd have to answer far too many questions about what she was doing out here and the state of her body.

There was, however, a small stream flowing near the training ground Sakura had picked. If she could get over to that, the worst of her injuries could be cleaned up and lessen the amount of explaining she would potentially have to do if discovered.

It was a fight just to get to her hands and knees. Crawling about on the ground like an animal, Sakura made her way over to the flowing water. Really, it was more of a creek than anything; there was a larger river a few training grounds over and this was one of the streams that fed into it. Thankfully, she wasn't that far. When she finally reached the bank, the girl simply rolled over into the flow. It wasn't deep enough to sweep her away and Sakura doubted she could clean herself properly from just sitting on the riverbank.

The water felt good. Damn good. It washed out the muck from her eyes and allowed Sakura to clear her mouth of sand. With eyes that actually worked, she surveyed the damage done: her hands would heal in a day or two and the cuts on her arms and legs were superficial. The strain on her muscles, though, was very real; they wouldn't be top-notch for a few weeks at the very least.

That meant that all of this had been a waste. Worst than a waste, actually: now she didn't even have enough energy to use her new skill even if she had completely mastered it. Not only that, her life would be in danger on missions due to her injuries.

It was too much. The chakra loss, her injuries, being on a team with Naruto, accepting she was a spy. Everything came to a horrible crash inside Sakura's head, accompanied by the feeling someone was stuffing cotton balls into her ears. The spots were back from earlier and this time she could no longer count them as just falling rocks. Of course, she couldn't go to a hospital because they would turn her over to Interrogations!

That was the last straw. Doing the only thing she could, crawling back out of the cold water and collapsing on the moss-covered riverbank, was the course of action Sakura picked. Maybe just a few minutes of rest would help. Besides, it felt so good just to stay still...


	4. Chapter 4

I told myself I would update this thing tonight, thus why it's being posted so early in the morning. I am going to go sleep, but I hope that you enjoy this. The longest chapter so far and the last of the "explanatory" arc. Things should pick up from here on out! Note: Someone did bring up a concern that I myself have with this story: that Sakura is too "mature" for her mindset. That's a difficult thing for me to address as I wanted this story to be a more realistic take on the story, plugging the main lapses of judgement I see as a recurring theme in the manga. I tried to tone it down in this chapter and, if it doesn't come off as well as I hoped, I'll make further changes down the road to bust Sakura back down to believability.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto**.**

What to do when one finds themselves spread-eagle in the middle of the forest with every bone in their body aching? That was what Sakura was asking herself as she rolled over to get the sun out of her eye; a stray beam was cutting through the canopy and hitting the girl's face.

Sakura groaned and dragged her arm up to cover her eyes. She didn't feel like moving at the moment. In fact, even after a night's rest she didn't think her body was capable of moving. Joints upon joints were protesting even the rise and fall of her chest and her spine felt like it had been wrapped around one of the large nearby trees.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled, rolling over onto her side. This turned out to be a bad decision as she fell right into the stream she had so desperately crawled over to the afternoon before. On the bright side, coughing out a few liters of water proved to be just the wake-up call Sakura needed.

The Genin jumped up onto wobbly legs, almost falling back down, as she emptied her lungs. Once the heaves were over with, she flopped down onto the bank like a freshly-caught fish, catching herself with both arms before she could fall back over. For a long moment she was bewildered and confused about just where she was. Her eyes darted around, expecting to see Kabuto or some other demon conjured up from her drowsy mind. Thankfully, it was only her and Sakura soon settled down and remembered what she had been doing.

Images flooded her mind. Mastering the Iwa chakra practices, being stumped on nature manipulation, finally overcoming it, being caught in the ground by herself and no way out. She had only just barely escaped without serious injury.

"Maybe that's not completely true," Sakura sighed. She looked down at her hands, still caked in dry blood that had come from her fingernails. She had clawed her way back from the grave, literally in this case, and had come away better for it. The feeling of being so helpless and trapped...well, she wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon. Still, even the pain Sakura was feeling now made the girl feel better. It was a good tired.

By the looks of the sun, it was only around an hour after sunrise. Today were the team selections, but if Sakura turned up in the state she was now she was sure Iruka would send her off to the hospital. That certainly couldn't happen so the only alternative was heading home for a shower and change of clothes. Testing her feet, Sakura managed to get up without falling back over and gathered the Doton scroll she had left laying in the middle of the training ground. If someone had come across that then she'd probably be sitting in a prison cell at this very moment.

The walk back to the center of the village wasn't nearly as bad as Sakura thought it would be. Her muscles, once properly stretched, weren't as strained as she had first thought. If anything, they were just extremely sore after a long workout and not permanently damaged. That weight off her shoulders, combined with an excellent night's rest, kept Sakura in a good mood.

Sakura's house was quiet when she slipped inside. Her mother, it seemed, had gone shopping and had yet to come back. That suited the Genin just fine; not having to deal with the older Haruno's questions would cut down on how late Sakura was already going to be. There was some breakfast laid out, though, and the girl made a note to grab it before she left.

Running upstairs, her grimy, filthy dress was already halfway off before she nudged the door to her room open with her foot. She stopped by only long enough to toss the garment into her hamper and remove her weapon pouch and then it was on to the shower. The hot water, something she hadn't had in a forest stream, was the last bit to a perfect morning. It rolled over Sakura's back and she felt the muscles in her shoulders start to unwind. She had dirt everywhere, though, and a limited supply of said hot water which meant she had to rush. When she was done it looked like someone had tried to mix chocolate milk in the bathtub there was so much dirt. She would have to clean it later, though.

"I look like a drowned rat," Sakura huffed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She hadn't been able to pay the usual amount of attention to her hair and it showed in the tangled mess of pink. She grabbed one of her larger, heftier brushes and attacked her hair with it as she went back to her room for some clothes.

The red dress that Sakura loved so much was out. Given the shape it was in it would probably be easier to have a new one made. The girl rooted around her closet for something that wouldn't show so much skin; there were so many bruises and cuts that anyone would ask questions. A long-sleeve shirt and plain gray baggy pants did the trick well enough, though she wouldn't be winning any best-dressed contests.

"Haruno Sakura: The Street Urchin Ninja," Sakura lamented as she fully took in her appearance in her full-length mirror. If the circumstances were any different, she would spend at least another hour finding an outfit and fixing her hair. As it stood, the pink locks were just hanging there with no body or definition whatsoever, so Sakura used her forehead protector the correct way to keep her bangs out her eyes. "Well, I'm on Sasuke-kun's team from now on so I'll have plenty of chances to get his attention later."

After strapping back on her weapon pouch and checking that everything in it was in place, the Genin thundered down the stairs and grabbed her breakfast, which was an egg sandwich, on the way out the door. She had gotten a look at the kitchen clock and team selection was well over thirty minutes ago. Perhaps Iruka would still be milling around to tell her where she was meeting her Jounin instructor.

Thankfully there weren't many people out and about to get in Sakura's way as she ran through the streets. In a few hours the lunch crowd would be around, but right now it was just old ladies and housewives looking at roadside shops. A few gave the pink-haired girl nasty looks as they got jostled around in her hurry, but Sakura ignored them. They would forget it in a few moments and anyway, she could see the academy's top rising above the distant buildings.

The grounds were empty when Sakura finally ran through the gate. No students, no teachers, no nothing. Had everyone already been dismissed? She was only around forty minutes late; surely it took longer than that to pick teams. The hallways, which should have had people in them, were as bare as the grounds. The Jounin must have taken their charges somewhere else after being assigned. That would make Sakura's job of finding her team that much harder.

As she rounded the hallway leading to her own classroom, raised voices hit her ears for the first time since entering the building. Well, really it was only one very loud, very obnoxious voice, but all the same it was good to hear.

"I can't believe I'm stuck here with you! Where the hell is our Jounin teacher?!"

The wonderfully colorful ranting of Uzumaki Naruto echoed off the walls as Sakura stalked up close to the classroom door. Their teacher hadn't gotten there yet? That was far too lucky! Now she could just go in there and pretend she was on time. Sasuke would think it was too much trouble to mention and Naruto wouldn't tattle on someone he liked.

"Excuse me," someone from behind called out, making Sakura let out a shriek. She jumped out of the way of the door, which she assumed she was blocking, and stuttered out an apology. The person that had snuck up on her wasn't angry, though, but seemingly confused. "Wait, you're one of mine, aren't you?"

Now that she had taken a step back, Sakura was able to see the owner of the voice. He was a tall, lanky man with a mask covering the bottom half of his head and silver hair. Even odder, though, was that his hitai-ate was covering his left eye.

"What do you mean, 'one of mine'?" the Genin asked.

"I mean that you should get into the classroom and find out." With that, he motioned for the small girl to go first. Dubious, but not willing to argue just yet, Sakura slid open the door and walked in.

She cringed when an eraser popped her on the head. "Alright, who did that?" she growled, dusting off her hair. She had just washed it!

Given that there were only two people in the room it was easy to spot the culprit. Naruto was stuck between looking terrified at pranking Sakura and ready to burst out laughing.

It took a lot of control for Sakura not to stomp up to the blond and slug him for messing up her hair. It was her standard operating practice when it came to Naruto doing something stupid, after all, and he was even already clutching his head in a vain attempt to protect himself. However, the Genin couldn't go by the book anymore. She didn't know how stable that seal on Naruto was or even if it was the boy in command of the body. No, there was such a vast veil of mystery concerning the Kyuubi that Sakura couldn't antagonize Naruto until she found out the exact nature of things. Given how long it took her to discover the fate of the demon fox in the first place, she would be in the dark for the foreseeable future.

Even Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Sakura not physically assaulting the prankster. She just shot Naruto a very dirty look and sat as far away from him, and as close to the antisocial Uchiha, as possible.

By now, everyone had turned their attention to the lanky man that had followed Sakura in. He was looking rather bored as his only visible eye swept over the trio, sizing them up like slabs of meat. "Follow me," he ordered.

The small group walked up the few flights of stairs towards the roof with Naruto still staying a wary distance away from Sakura. For once, the pink-haired girl wasn't walking beside her crush and was instead keeping up the rear, ignoring the two sets of eyes that were taking in her appearance whenever they could. Sakura could tell that Naruto wanted to say something about the visible cuts and bruises on her face and the only thing keeping him from doing so was the fear of some kind of reprisal for his botched prank. Even Sasuke looked mildly interested.

Funny, that. Sakura spent over an hour each morning on getting ready for academy, making sure every hair was in place and not a single wrinkle in her dress and here he was paying attention to her when her hair was still damp from the shower and showing no skin. It would have been funny if she wasn't happy with the attention.

Once at their destination, the older ninja lazily leaned up against the railing that bordered the rooftop of the academy. He was looking at them with something Sakura could almost imagine was a sneer, even though it was hard to be sure with that mask covering his face.

"I think we should start with some introductions," he ordered more than suggested. "You, the blond one. Start us off."

Naruto impatiently rocked back and forth on the step he had sat down on. "What do you want to know?"

"Likes, dislikes, dreams for the future...stuff like that, I suppose."

Sakura sized the Jounin up as Naruto demanded that he should go first before asking other people. Outwardly, the man seemed lazy and unkept, but that vest meant far more than just a rank's name. It signified that its wearer was one of the best the village had to offer and judging how old and battered the Jounin's was, he had been at his station a long time. Boisterous conversations by too-tipsy Chunin back at the restaurant Sakura liked to gather information gave her with a fairly good impression of what it took to become a Konoha Jounin. Given that the Chunin rank was the most common in the village, only a very select few even got to test to advance in rank.

Of course, the blond boy sitting beside Sakura didn't contemplate having any respect for the man. "What? Why should we go first? We don't know anything about you!"

Amazingly, the Jounin looked like he actually was considering the idea. "Me? Well, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you about my likes and dislikes. As to my dreams for the future..." he just trailed off, looking as bored as ever.

Even though Naruto started protesting immediately, Sakura didn't join in. Even just the name was enough to make her reconsider this man who would become their teacher. He was a well-known Jounin, after all. The "Copy Ninja Kakashi". Sakura was unaware of what that title denoted, but any ninja with a widely-recognized title had to be worthy of such things.

"Alright, your turn." Kakashi had apparently grown bored of the silence after his introduction. "Unless you have something else to gripe about."

"Yosh! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I love ramen and my dream is to become the Hokage and have everyone recognize me!"

That declaration seemed to strike Kakashi as admirable as his expression became somewhat wistful under that mask of his. Although Sakura couldn't see much, there was definitely an upturned lip behind the disinterested expression. "Next." The look was gone before anyone could comment, though.

This time it was Sasuke's turn. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are lots of things I dislike and I don't really like anything." Typical for Sasuke-kun. That brooding, mysterious quality was what Sakura, and many other girls, really saw in him. "I really can't call it a dream, but I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and...to kill a certain man."

This time, Kakashi's eye narrowed. Sakura only saw his expression fall out the corner of her own eye as she, along with Naruto, stared unabashed at their teammate's declaration.

To kill a certain man? Sakura didn't have the faintest idea who Sasuke would want to kill. True, he had never really gotten along with anyone at the academy, but then again he had never talked to anyone long enough to hate them like that. His body posture and expression, though, was dead serious and he never told jokes.

"And lastly, you. The girl."

That snapped Sakura out of her stupor. She tried not to, but a hint of a glare couldn't help but be cast Kakashi's way. She knew that many of the male shinobi in the village looked down on kunoichi, but to be so blatantly written-off like this was an insult. She quickly schooled her face into a smile, though, accepting that this would be a good chance to really throw her team leader for a loop.

"I'm Haruno Sakura! My dream is..." she glanced over at Sasuke, not even having to fake a blush. "My hobbies are..." Same as before, though she added a little embarrassed squeal at the end. "What I dislike is Na, er, ramen." The Genin managed to catch herself before she instinctively said "Naruto" so as to avoid antagonizing the boy even more. Of course, saying that she hated ramen, the first thing she thought of, had nearly the same effect. Naruto's face was ashen, his mouth hanging open like he were trying to swallow a watermelon whole.

Everyone else casually ignored his sputtering. Kakashi just nodded when Sakura finished, muttering something about how girls her age were more interested in love than ninjutsu. Now that she had put on that little show, combined with his obvious dislike of young girls in the first place, the pink-haired Genin was certain Kakashi wouldn't expect very much from her in the months to come. It would allow her to get away with things someone watched and cared for wouldn't as well as probably ask quite a few questions without suspicion.

Feeling quite pleased with herself for that little bit of acting, Sakura almost missed Kakashi's next bit of explanation.

"Tomorrow we'll be doing our first official duties as shinobi." Only interrupted long enough for Naruto to ask what it was they would be doing, he finished, "Survival training. You will meet me at training ground thirty seven and bring every tool you have."

Of course, Naruto instantly objected. Sakura felt much the same way and made a disgruntled face at their teacher. "We went through all of this in the academy," she grumbled.

"I hope you don't think this is normal training. I'm your opponent this time." Kakashi smirked under his mask at the defiant glare two of his students were giving him. "If you don't pass, you get sent back to the academy."

The gears inside Sakura's head began their winding-up as she analyzed what the Jounin was saying. "So, it's a test? If there's a test, that means that graduating had no real function." If passing didn't mean anything, though, why go through with it? The girl's eyes snapped wide when she grasped the answer. "That was just to weed out the people who weren't ready for the real test, wasn't it? Basic skills, right? If we couldn't understand them, we didn't deserve to have a real teacher."

It was so utterly insidious that Sakura was more impressed than upset. Six years of learning things that were only nominally practical. After all, regular Chunin and Jounin certainly didn't use universal skills like bunshin or henge very often; if someone flunked out the village wouldn't be risking anything should that person move on to another village.

Kakashi's expression was a mix between amusement and surprise. He apparently hadn't expected the girl to work it out. "Got it in one. Graduation was simply the bare basic level you had to be at to even get considered to be on an actual team."

"How many people will be chosen to be Genin?" Sasuke asked, having worked out a logical next step.

"You're going to freak out, I just know it." The Jounin's mocking laughter could just barely be heard on the rooftop. "Nine. Nine out of twenty-seven graduates. The rest get shipped back to the grinder."

A sixty-seven percent chance of failure, then. Sakura looked over at her two teammates with trepidation. Sasuke would be fine, she knew, but with Naruto there, someone who had failed three different times, it didn't look good. "How many people have you personally failed, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked.

"Every team I've had." His answer was immediate and he ignored the grunts of disappointment coming from Sakura and Sasuke.

Naruto's reaction was immediate. He scrambled to his feet, eyes blazing, and pointed a finger dramatically at the Jounin who was cool as ever. "You probably cheat to get out of the work!" he accused. "You couldn't even show up on time!"

"It's usually the ones with the least amount of talent that bark the most. I just don't want to waste my time with dead last idiots."

For a moment, it looked like Naruto was going to try and physically assault the Jounin. Sakura, knowing that if the blond was right and Kakashi was looking for any chance to get out of work, threw out her hand to stop him. "Stop, Naruto! He can't be that obvious or else the Hokage would never assign him to take on teams in the first place." She was walking on dangerous ground, she knew, but she had to take action. Hopefully Kakashi wouldn't reevaluate her because of a few pearls of wisdom.

Unfortunately, the Genin got the idea that Kakashi was doing just that as his eye drifted over to her. He regarded the girl for a long moment before looking back to Naruto. "I'm fair, but I won't go easy on you. If you impress me tomorrow...well, then, we'll see." That was as close to encouragement as the three Genin thought their teacher would get. "I wouldn't eat any breakfast, though. You'll probably just lose it when the exercise starts."

He passed out sheets of paper to them all, explaining that the technical details were explained on them. Where to meet, what time to meet, etcetera. Sasuke took one look at his and crumpled it up, coming to some decision by himself, and stalked off. Naruto gulped loudly and for once wandered off without asking for a date. At least he was taking this seriously.

Being the last to leave, Sakura neatly folded up her instructions and slipped them into her pants pocket. On her way back home, she stopped by the library to pick up a few books about musical notes, starting with the most basic concepts. If the scroll at home worked like Kabuto's reports, she had one month to fully decipher the code and be able to use it to write messages.

Her mother wasn't home yet and for that Sakura was very thankful. She wrote a quick note explaining how her meeting had went and apologized for coming in so late the night before. Studying late and losing track of time would once again be the excuse Sakura used to cover that she'd been gone the entire night before. Any guilt she felt about lying to her mother had long-since been whittled down. She had told much, much bigger lies over the last year, after all.

Sakura flopped down on her bed the second she closed the door to her room. She blissfully sank into her soft goose-down pillow and tried to will away all the thoughts that were swimming through her head. A part of her wanted to go out and get some practice in while another told her to start reading the books she had picked up from the library. Instead of doing either, though, Sakura basked in idle indecisiveness and just watched the shadows of the trees outside her window dance on the ceiling as she went over the previous meeting.

Kakashi knew something. Of that Sakura was certain. What he knew was up to interpretation, but it was clear he thought Sakura was something more than she projected, even if it was just a tiny bit. It wouldn't be too much of a problem if he thought she was smart; her file probably said that about her anyway and she couldn't suddenly go brain dead when he asked her a question. The problem was with starting to analyze everything he said. Sakura couldn't dissect and categorize his words like she would do with a regular source of information. Kakashi, her potential teacher, was different from a random Chunin at a restaurant talking too loud. For one thing, the Chunin wouldn't be around her for extended periods of time asking her questions and observing her behavior.

The observation would be the main problem. Before now the only steady contact she had with a high-ranking ninja was Iruka. The man was sharp, but he had dozens of other students to look after so he couldn't focus in on just her. A Jounin instructor, though, would only have three people to get to know. Sakura honestly didn't know how she would pull it off, but the only thing she could do would be to play it by ear. Adapt her behavior when possible and hope that she could both control her mouth and slowly raise Kakashi's opinion of her.

"Sakura, are you home? Could you help me with dinner?" Sakura's mother's voice interrupted her daughter's musing.

Sakura looked out of the window and found that she had been laying around for a solid hour. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she forced herself up. "Sure! I'll be down in a second!"

Dinner sounded good. Her first instinct was to skip dinner and try to restart her diet for Sasuke, but she was too burnt-out for that. Her joints and muscles were still quite sore and a good dinner would probably be the best thing for that. She'd skip breakfast tomorrow, like Kakashi wanted, to make up for it.

*******

The next morning proved to be more hectic than Sakura thought possible. Despite her better judgment, she had stayed up a bit longer after dinner to read the first book on music. "A few pages" had turned into several chapters and Sakura had fallen asleep without setting her alarm. The rush out of the house was hurried as she grabbed whatever clothes were on hand and bolted out the door. It turned out that shorts and a long-sleeve tee-shirt, neither of which matched, were the order of the day.

Even more stressful was the discovery that a rush wasn't necessary. Although an hour late, Sakura was only the third person to show up. Naruto and Sasuke were both there, but the Jounin was not. In fact, he wouldn't show up until another three hours had passed.

"Hey guys! Good morning!"

**"You're late!" **

The nerve of some people. Sakura had dozed off but Naruto's shrill cry woke her up. She was just gathering her stuff together when the Jounin was pulling something out of his pocket.

Kakashi strolled over to the clock he had set down earlier and wound it up. "See this? You have until noon to get a bell. If you don't, you get tied to the log and no lunch." The good-natured man that had walked into the training ground was gone, replaced by an all-business ninja. He glanced over at Sakura as if expecting her to already understand what he was getting at, but was disappointed: Sakura had held her tongue this time.

"Two bells and three of you, right? One of you gets shipped back to the academy. You better come at me to kill or you'll all go back."

Sakura didn't know which was worse: already being singled out to answer questions or face being shipped back to the academy. Either way it was a bad day.

"Ha, if all of us really try you'll be dead, Sensei!" Naruto laughed. To Sakura's horror, he wasn't the only one acting smug. Even Sasuke was looking at the Jounin condescendingly with that smug smirk of his.

What was with those two? This was a Jounin, not some surprised Chunin or idiot academy students! If he said they would have to fight to kill then they would have to kill. The way Kakashi was nonchalantly looking at them was not the way some self-sure shinobi looking to impress his students would!

The Jounin glanced over at Naruto with a look that clearly said the blond was worse than the dirt on the bottom of his sandal. "No one needs to listen to the dead-last. Just let the little dog yap all he wants."

_Please don't do it, Naruto._ Sakura knew what the Jounin was trying to do and she was praying that her teammate wasn't that stupid. Given the way the boy tensed, though, it didn't look like he was living up to expectations. Wasn't it painfully obvious Kakashi was just baiting him? Why else would the man suddenly start to single out him for insults?

Just as Kakashi wanted, Naruto let out a growl and pulled a kunai. He wound up his arm to send the weapon at the Jounin, fully intending to end the little test right now. Unfortunately, before he could release the kunai a strong arm was holding him in place. Amazingly, the Jounin had gotten behind Naruto in an instant.

"At least you have the right attitude now," Kakashi lazily stated. "I think I'm starting-"

He never got the chance to finish as Sakura had made a rash decision herself. Seeing her teacher's attention split, his right arm occupied, and Sasuke on his blind spot, she launched herself at the bells tied to Kakashi's waist, hoping that Sasuke got the same idea. Sadly, the Uchiha was still recovering from the Jounin's sudden appearance and only watched with a disbelieving gaze at his teammates' antics. Without Sasuke's help on the other side, and the limitations her injuries imposed, Kakashi quickly released Naruto and sidestepped the pink-haired girl's attempt. For good measure, he tripped her up with his foot.

Ignoring Sakura's grumblings, Kakashi calmly went on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "-to like you guys. You've got some spunk." He gave both Naruto and Sakura somewhat approving glances at this. "But, you know, I didn't say start yet. Since you're so ready to go...begin!"

Sasuke was gone before the words could fully leave Kakashi's mouth, darting off into the trees ringing the training area. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that he left her so quickly, but there was nothing to be done about it right now. Ignoring her muscle's protests, the girl flexed her arms and shot up into the air, fully intending to follow suit once she landed back on her feet. However, Naruto not doing the same made her pause.

"Come on," she hissed, not daring to get any closer. Naruto was between her and Kakashi and she wasn't going to cut the amount of warning she would get if the Jounin moved. "Why aren't you hiding?"

"I'm gonna fight him, of course! None of this cowardly sneaking shit!" Naruto declared.

Thankfully for Sakura's sanity, Kakashi seemed just as dumbfounded by this as she was. "You do realize that we're ninja, right? This isn't a playground game."

Sakura tuned out the rest. It was clear that Naruto wasn't going to be able to help at all and when she thought about it...that was a good thing. If the Kyuubi container got sent back to the academy then she would be left alone on a team with Sasuke. Today was a very lucky day indeed.

Running through a few seals, the girl summoned as many clones as she dared. Kakashi's gaze flicked over to her and looked curious at all the Sakura's splitting up and running to all corners of the training ground, darting into the trees. The real Sakura, however, picked the only tree in the clearing to hop up into. She was certain that the clones wouldn't fool the Jounin, but at the very least they should give him the impression that she wasn't going to be stupid like Naruto. It apparently worked as the man didn't make any moves to stop her. Instead, he was leafing through a book of some kind while embarrassing Naruto in taijutsu.

This was the first time Sakura had ever seen a Jounin in action and she couldn't help but be impressed. Of course Kakashi wasn't even trying, but it was easy to guess what he could be capable if he were to get serious. If she were being honest, Sakura knew they would have all been dead in the first few seconds if the "aim to kill" rule applied to both sides.

"Thousand years of pain!"

And then there was the luxury of just being odd. If there were any indications of how good a ninja was, it was how crazy they acted and how many quirks they had developed. You had to be alive for a very long time if you could act silly when three people were trying to kill you, even if they were fresh Genin.

Sakura's hand drifted down to her weapon pouch when Naruto hit the water. Slowly, though, it slid back up to the branch it had been grasping. No, Kakashi was still very much aware of her position. His body posture was such that he could turn around in an instant and catch anything she threw at him. Honestly, Sakura didn't think he even needed to do that; his reaction time, from what he had demonstrated before the training even began, was far higher than anyone else's. She didn't even see him move last time. When the man caught two shuriken without even taking his eye off his book, it was even more apparent just how far above the Genin this Jounin was.

Naruto finally broke the water a few seconds later, gasping for air and cursing up a storm. Amazingly, in Sakura's opinion, he wasn't giving up. Even after that thrashing from Kakashi the boy was crawling back to his feet and assuming a stance. What a mistake the man made, though, by turning his back to Naruto. Several solid clones broke the surface of the river and swarmed him. The blond called it Kage Bunshin, but Sakura had never heard of the skill.

Unfortunately, Naruto used no skill in their application. Sure, he surprised Kakashi by catching him from behind, but the goal wasn't to defeat Kakashi. Instead of grabbing a bell, he went for physical revenge. The boy could have probably grabbed a bell if he had tried. As it was, Kakashi had used Kawarmi no Jutsu and replaced himself with one of Naruto's clones. Naruto had then spent the better part of a minute literally beating himself up before realizing his mistake.

For a good, long moment, Naruto looked mightily pathetic. Standing in the middle of the clearing sporting bruises all over his body...Sakura almost felt sorry for him. That Kage Bunshin technique really was impressive and it was something that the brilliant girl couldn't even begin to figure out. Still, she could have used it better.

"Ah! A bell!" Naruto's stunned exclamation caught Sakura's attention and she followed Naruto's gaze to the base of her tree. There, sitting only a few feet down, was one of the little bells. The Kyuubi container seemed to think that Kakashi had dropped it in some rush to escape, but Sakura knew that a Jounin wouldn't lose anything accidently. However, Naruto was getting closer and closer and Kakashi wasn't showing up to attack him.

Was Naruto really going to get a bell? Just like that? Sakura had admitted that the Shadow Clone skill was impressive, but would Kakashi really just hand the boy a bell? Even now the blond was running over to the little metal trinket, grinning up a storm. Why had Kakashi put the bell so close to her tree, though? Was it some kind of test? Did he expect her to get to it first? Was it a trap?

_Screw it_, Sakura thought as she pulled out a kunai. If Naruto got that bell then it would eliminate one of the open spots. That would mean that either Sakura got stuck, alone, on a team with the walking time bomb or sent back to the academy and get separated from Sasuke. Either way it would make for a bleak future. Even if it was a trap she couldn't just ignore it.

Naruto had just stooped down to pick up the bell when a kunai flashed down from the tree. He leapt back with an angry yelp which turned to surprise when Sakura landed a few feet away. The weapon, which had not been aimed at Naruto, had hit its target: the bell was knocked away and it came to rest a few feet from the tree.

"Sakura-chan! I almost had it!" the boy complained. He was more annoyed and confused than angry now that he knew it wasn't Sasuke or Kakashi screwing with him. He didn't even seem to care that the pink-haired Genin had pulled another kunai. "Why did you do that?

Even though this was completely legitimate, it was a competition between the three of them after all, Sakura felt a bit like a heel. The fact that Naruto didn't seem to recognize this yet wasn't helping. "Idiot! Haven't you realized it yet?" Of course, the boy only blinked in utter confusion. "This is a-"

The jingle of a bell cut Sakura off. Both kids looked over at where Kakashi's bell had came to rest and the hand which was now holding it. "You know, Sakura, I was wrong about you," Kakashi said as he rolled the little trinket between his fingers.

Wrong? Sakura's blood started to run cold at the calculating gaze she was getting. Had the Jounin worked out she was a spy? That she was trying to get rid of Naruto? How long had he been listening? Had he been able to watch her body language even while he was fighting Naruto? More importantly, what was the Jounin going to do now?

Kakashi was warily watching the girl as he walked over. He looked like he wanted to get closer, but seeing the kunai she was holding decided against it. Instead, he said, "Catch," and tossed her the bell. "You pass."

There was stunned silence until Naruto erupted in loud complaining, demanding to know why he didn't get a bell. "Naruto," Kakashi began, "Sakura just saved your chance at making it through this at all. She could have let you walk right into that trap and then snatch the bell for herself, but she didn't. That's what she was trying to explain to you." The man walked over to where Sakura's kunai had stuck into the ground and moved away some of the leaves. There, hidden, was a rope that snaked its way up into the branches of the tree.

Sakura let out the breath she had been holding. Stunned to be sure, but she felt much better. Of course she hadn't noticed the trap, but she would play the part like she had.

"I knew that I needed help to get a bell, so I couldn't let Naruto get caught. I'd rather it have been Sasuke-kun, though," she added. A bit of truth mixed with a lie would make the tonic go down better. It seemed to work as Kakashi chuckled a bit.

"Regardless, you've passed. I'm sure you'll figure out why you passed, but don't tell the other two idiots. They have to get it by themselves." He turned to Naruto. "And you, why are you just standing there? Don't you want this last bell?"

Needless to say, the ensuing fracas was something that Sakura did not want to entangle herself in. Naruto went back to attacking their teacher with renewed rage and vigor and only managed to get another ass poke for his trouble. Sakura, not really knowing what to do now, walked over to the shade of the tree she had been sitting in and leaned up against its trunk, looking down at the little silver bell in her hands. Now that she had passed, it was Sasuke-kun's test to fail; Naruto certainly wouldn't be getting a bell acting like that. Sakura started scanning the tree line, wondering where Sasuke had hidden himself.

That question was soon answered by a hail of steel raining down upon Kakashi. The Jounin had been showing Naruto how pathetic his taijutsu was by fending the boy off with one foot until he found his head full of kunai and shuriken.

Not enough, Sakura thought. Kakashi hadn't been completely open yet, that much was obvious even to her. Why, then, had Sasuke attacked? The Genin didn't even have to look over at the Jounin to know that he had Kawarmi'd out of harm's way.

"Kakashi-sensei is too tough!" Sakura glanced back at Naruto. The boy wasn't pouting like she had expected, but instead had a, dare she say it, truly annoyed look on his face. "I couldn't even touch him with my best idea!"

Sakura tensed as Naruto got more and more angry. Could anger break whatever seal was holding back the Nine Tails? She certainly didn't want to find out, especially with Kakashi who knows how far away. "C-Calm down, Naruto. It's not that hard to figure out."

Instantly Naruto was over by her with a wide grin. "You know what to do, right? Right? Come on, Sakura-chan, tell me the secret!"

Although she did know, or at least thought she did, Sakura wasn't sure she wanted to share it. If she were correct then it meant that they would probably all pass and her dream of getting Naruto off of her team was dead. Then again, the more she thought about it the less likely that outcome was. It probably wasn't even an option from the start. Damn that Kakashi! He was devious.

"Alright, alright! Fine! Just stop grinning like that!" It reminded Sakura far too much of a fox. "You should be able to figure it out, Naruto. Don't you remember something about Genin teams? Something important about how they are made-up?"

"Of course! They...uh..." Naruto nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "They have, um, people in them?"

How had this idiot made it through the academy? Sakura honestly had no idea, but suddenly she felt a lot less proud of her good grades. "Think! They have three people and a teacher! Don't you remember that day a year ago when we had to work on construction? There was a team there. Three Genin in it. I've never seen even one with less or more than that."

Naruto looked at Sakura with something akin to wonder in his eyes. "You remembered that? That's amazing, Sakura-chan! But...what does it mean?"

"It means that either we all pass or none of us pass. I don't think Kakashi-sensei would have the power to change how many people there are to a team." Sakura ignored the compliment Naruto gave her; how could she forget Kabuto and his team after all that had happened? "That's why Kakashi gave me one: I helped you when I didn't have to. We have to find Sasuke-kun and work together to get the last bell."

"We have to help that bastard get a bell?" Naruto asked, clearly annoyed with that prospect. "Sakura-chan! Can't we just pass together? It'll be a lot more fun!"

Sakura felt the need to cradle her wide forehead in her hands. So. Very. Stupid. "Weren't you listening?! We have to do this as a team or else we won't pass at all!" When Naruto kept dragging his feet and making up excuses, it proved to be too much to take; Sakura gathered up her kunai, slipped the bell into her weapon pouch, and ran off into the trees, ignoring any shouts from Naruto to come back.

That idiot! Wasn't it enough that he was the weakest link in the team? Did he have to be so bullheaded as well? Sakura scrambled to the top of one of the biggest trees she could find and tried to spot Sasuke or Kakashi. As expected, they were nowhere to be seen. There was only some lingering dust further in and a flock of birds going the opposite way. That was hardly what simple taijutsu would cause, but it was the only thing that stood out.

Getting down was, oddly, much harder than going up. Sakura had to watch her footing and resist the urge to simply jump down when she was almost on the ground. Although her arms and legs hadn't been bothering her, she didn't want to push her luck. All things considered, though, she felt pretty good. Those clones earlier hadn't even taxed her system and the Genin didn't feel very tired. She chalked it up to adrenaline pumping and it probably wouldn't last much longer.

The run over to where she had seen the dust took a bit longer than expected. Seeing something from so far up and navigating your way there on foot were two very different things. Thus, all the action, whatever it was, was over. Sakura walked softly out into the little clearing and noted the mass of knives and singed soil dotting the grounds. There had been a fight here and it was fairly recent. She didn't see Kakashi using jutsu like that on a Genin, though.

"...Sakura?"

Said girl spun around, looking for Sasuke. However, no matter where she looked she couldn't see the Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun? Where...?"

There was a quiet grunt, then a resigned sigh. "Look down."

Sakura's gaze followed orders and soon her eyes locked onto what looked to be Sasuke's severed head. After one or two deep, calming breaths, Sakura realized that severed heads did not talk. "Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura guessed. She sighed when her teammate gave an affirmative grunt. "Hold still, I'll get you out, Sasuke-kun."

Although she had said she would do so, digging someone out of that much dirt was a tough job. To Sasuke's annoyance, Sakura had yanked on his head a few times as if he were an ill-tempered turnip, but to no success. The dirt was expertly packed and it would take at least an hour of conventional digging to get Sasuke out. By then it would be too late to try and get another bell.

However, Sakura wasn't going dig conventionally. The girl moved around behind Sasuke's head so that he couldn't see her and focused her chakra into her hands. Faint wisps of blue-colored energy were dancing between her fingertips like electricity on a live wire. Focusing even more, she mixed the nature she had drawn out the day before and put it to her chakra which took on a clay-colored tone.

"What are you doing back there?" Sasuke tersely asked, breaking his stoic silence for information.

The girl didn't answer. Instead, she jammed her fingers into the dirt surrounding the young boy and cut through it as easily as rice paper. Some of it turned to sand, most was being packed to the side, but slowly Sasuke was beginning to have room to move and wiggle about. Sakura stopped when Sasuke had enough space to get his arms out and the boy pulled himself free from there. Although it looked like he would like to do nothing but question his teammate how she had freed him so quickly, pride kicked in and he just grunted and walked off.

Sakura's lips sank into a small frown. "You're welcome," she muttered. It was like Sasuke was annoyed at her for some reason, but the girl couldn't understand what could be the cause. Although she wanted nothing more than to run after him, Sakura refrained. If he was mad at her, for whatever reason, she'd be risking herself and her bell by following.

Once again Sakura pulled out the little metal bell and stared at it. Although she had figured out what Kakashi was looking for in the exorcize, it didn't mean anything if Sasuke didn't pass.

"He certainly is ungrateful, isn't he?" Kakashi asked, suddenly appearing behind the Genin. He grinned a bit when Sakura leapt straight up into the air like a frightened cat. "You'll die young if you're that tense all the time."

"I'll die young only if you give me a heart attack!" Sakura rasped. She hadn't meant to snap, though, and quickly went back to a more respectful tone of voice. "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I didn't hear you...arrive."

With a slight upward curve of his eyebrow, Kakashi snapped his Icha-Icha Paradise book closed. "That's because I snuck up on you. I have a few questions before the timer runs out."

Questions? That wasn't good. Sakura racked her brain, trying to find some instance of her screwing up her act today. Sure, there was the early attempt at getting a bell and the not-so-honest story of helping Naruto avoid a trap, but Kakashi hadn't seemed suspicious about either event. "Of course, Kakashi-sensei," she answered after a slight pause.

The Jounin suddenly became a little more serious and walked over to the hole Sasuke had just been buried in. "That was pretty quick digging, wasn't it? I buried Sasuke with a Doton; it wasn't a regular pit trap. Any idea how you got him out so fast?"

Under her breath, Sakura cursed. Kakashi had seen her use nature manipulation on the ground and was now seeing how honest she would be about it. There would only be so much Sakura could admit, though. Questions could arise that would jeopardize everything. Then again, if she told an obvious lie it would only serve to make Kakashi more suspicious.

"...I used earth nature manipulation." A plan was starting to form, but it would require a bit of acting. "Was that cheating? You didn't say not to use any jutsu." Sakura put on a face of shock and dismay, seemingly getting upset by getting caught in some obscure rule she had missed.

Kakashi nudged a lump of sand with his foot, looking at it with a very calculating gaze. Finally, his head rose back up until he was looking at his student. "...no, nothing like that. I was just surprised that all three of my potential Genin could use ninjutsu. That's an Iwa-developed technique; it's different than the earth manipulation we teach here. I don't think the academy would teach you something like that."

Oh damn it. Kakashi had recognized it right off the bat. Sakura tried her best to look bashful and embarrassed, going so far as to force a blush and play with a lock of hair. "They don't. I, um, kinda cheated. I found the scroll in some of my dad's old stuff. You know, from the war with Iwa." Now, putting on a sheepish, scorned expression, Sakura grimaced and looked away. "I know I should have reported the scroll and asked an actual ninja to help me with it, but it all seemed pretty easy. I'm sorry."

"Is that how you got injured?" Kakashi asked, not giving any indication of buying Sakura's excuse just yet. He was watching her face intently now.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei. I overdid it trying to learn how to dig yesterday and I hurt myself." She pulled up the sleeves on her shirt and showed him the cuts and bruises there. "I guess I messed up."

The reason she was being so forthcoming with information was soon apparent. Kakashi eyed the marks and shook his head. "I didn't think you'd be the type to train like that, Sakura." Of course, that meant he hadn't expected anything at all from the girl. "I shouldn't have to tell you not to practice strange scrolls without supervision. If you try it again, ask someone at the academy for help."

Sakura was spared any further grilling by the sound of the little egg timer going off a short ways away. She looked over to her teacher, hoping that he'd let her off the hook, but Kakashi was already gone. At least there would be no more questions.

It was almost like a walk of shame, Sakura mused, as she made her way back over to the clearing. She had failed completely: not only had she not passed, Kakashi was probably going to be sniffing around for awhile. She wasn't naive enough to think that the Jounin would just forget that she had admitted to having enemy scrolls at her house. There would probably be an inquiry, the scroll would be confiscated or something, and she'd get into serious trouble.

The tip of Sakura's sandal caught a rock and she kicked it clear across the field, hitting the trunk of the tree she had first hid in. Today was turning out to be a real wash; it was already noon and only she had gotten a bell. She didn't know how long Kakashi was going to keep the exorcize going, but since there were two bells left he would probably give them a few more chances.

That left the young girl to wonder just what would happen if she was the only one with a bell at the end of the day. Kakashi didn't have the power to alter the fundamental team structure, but he could probably get her put with someone else. Perhaps one of the other teams would have a spare slot on it and she'd get stuck in with them? Sakura didn't want to be separated from Sasuke, though, so she hoped that wasn't the case.

Of course, there was always the chance that Kakashi would simply fail them all. If no one else could pass his stupid test then that would be the best option. They would all get put back in the academy and left to try again later in the year. It was early spring and there would be a few new graduates in the fall. With some luck she wouldn't catch Kakashi as a Jounin again, but there was always the chance that Sasuke would get sorted elsewhere. Thinking about it, though, was giving her a headache that probably also stemmed from not having any lunch or breakfast.

"And there she is. Too bad you missed the explanation about our memorial stone." Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke were by the training logs by the time Sakura finally showed up, though the latter was in a rather embarrassing position. He was completely bound to the middle log and his glare was positively murderous.

Kakashi didn't seem to mind. "Sakura, good work. You actually managed to get a bell so you get lunch." He tossed the little bento box he was holding at the stunned girl before turning to Naruto. "You didn't get a bell, but you did prove that you were willing to work with someone else. That's good enough to not get stuck in Sasuke's shoes." The second box went to the very happy blond Genin and he eyed it hungrily.

The final member of the team sneered. He struggled in vain against the ropes, but the action only tired him out. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the display and strolled up to him. "I don't know what your problem is, Sasuke. Instead of helping Naruto or Sakura at the start, you ran off and did everything yourself. Even _Sakura_ managed to get a bell."

"Anyway, you two eat. I'll let Naruto and Sasuke try again after lunch, but because he lost, Sasuke doesn't get any." Kakashi looked directly at Sakura when he said that, daring her to say anything. "If either of you give him anything, everyone goes home."

Sakura let out the breath she was holding when Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke. He had gotten frightening at the end there. Even though she was sure he was still lurking around, not having the Jounin hovering overhead was a good thing.

Slowly, she pulled the top off her lunch. It was fairly simple, but to someone that hadn't eaten since dinner the night before it was heavenly. Sakura felt bad for Sasuke, she honestly did, but she'd need food in her stomach if she was going to get through the next few hours. She quietly sent a sorrowful look to the Uchiha before turning her full attention on that delicious rice.

Oddly, though, Naruto wasn't joining her. Sakura only noticed in between mouthfuls, but the blond wasn't doing much of anything except staring at the food in his hand and that memorial stone. Sakura was about to comment on it when his hand, and chopsticks holding a piece of fish, slowly rose in front of Sasuke's face.

"Go on, bastard. Eat it."

Sakura whipped her head around to look for Kakashi. "Naruto, don't!" she hissed, still scanning the trees. "If Kakashi-sensei hears you-"

"If he hears me so what!" Naruto defiantly shot back. "I'm going to be the next Hokage so if he fails me now I'll fire him later." When Sasuke just glared, Naruto explained, "Kakashi-sensei talked about it before you got back, Sakura-chan. He said we all had to work like a team to make up for the losers. Since Sasuke sucks so much now, he'll suck even more without any food."

"I don't need your charity, idiot. And I'm not the damn loser!"

The pink-haired girl felt a migraine coming on. She knew what Naruto was trying to do, as surprising as it was, but the way he had phrased it left much to be desired. Besides, if Kakashi wasn't going to bust in on them now, he was probably too far away to hear them for whatever reason.

And then it hit her. Naruto had said something about Kakashi talking about teamwork. It was clear that he wanted them to help each other, but even more he wanted them to help each other when it could potentially hurt their own individual chances. He had given Sakura a bell for supposedly trying to help Naruto earlier when she could have just grabbed the bell herself. Sacrifice for the team was what he wanted!

"Sasuke-kun, take some of mine too," Sakura whispered, holding out a bit of her own food. If she were right, this was what she had to do to pass. Sasuke **had** to accept their kindness right now! "Please, Sasuke-kun. Naruto's an idiot, but he's right this time. You're hungry and none of us can actually physically take a bell from Kakashi-sensei without your help."

Naruto was about to voice his disagreement with that assessment, but Sakura overcame her fear of the Kyuubi and cuffed him hard on the top of his head. If Sasuke wouldn't let them help him, Kakashi would bounce them all back to the academy.

Several tense moments passed before the young Uchiha reluctantly, grudgingly, opened his mouth and took a bite of Sakura's rice. He tried not to show any emotion when the girl's face lit up like a thousand watt bulb.

**"You guys!"**

Kakashi's booming voice literally knocked Naruto over. The Jounin had suddenly appeared right behind the blond and was now looming over both Sakura and Sasuke, seemingly have grown several feet.

"Pass."

And just like that, it was over. Sakura slumped down into the grass as Naruto found his second wind and started to cheer. Kakashi was explaining something to the three of them, but the girl couldn't be bothered to listen. She had finally gotten on a real team, without being discovered, and had beaten Ino and the others to Sasuke. She had time to properly get him now without all those other girls lurking around every corner.

Sakura looked up with a blissful smile when she was poked by someone's foot. It was Kakashi and he was looking both amused and perplexed at her expression. He stooped down to offer her a hand up and she took it, jumping to her feet with a bit of a flourish.

"Are you coming? Naruto wants to have what he calls a 'proper' lunch as Team Seven."

Team Seven...that sounded good. It _felt_ good. Sakura had a feeling that things were going to change for the better now, that nothing could possibly go wrong.

Back inside the city, though, a small scroll stuffed inside Sakura's dresser was starting to make a very distinct humming sound...


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I went back to basics with this chapter, trying to recapture my old love of writing. I don't know if it worked, but I think that I'm somewhat getting back into the swing of things. This isn't my most popular story by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe it'll catapult me into updating other things? In any event, thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. **

Character reports: Sakura hated doing them.

For two months she had been writing-up detailed summaries of her teacher and teammates and sending them back through her spy journal. It was a painstaking hassle to transcribe dozens of pages of text into a complicated character cipher and it mostly had to be done at late at night.

Learning how to write in musical tone was difficult enough when Sakura thought she had a month to waste on it. A month, though, was Sakura being very liberal with her guess. It turned out that there was a cypher waiting on the girl when she had gotten home from passing the entrance test Kakashi had dreamed up for Team Seven. Sakura spent that entire night pouring over her borrowed music books to translate the simple page of notes. What it revealed was an order to collect information on her teammates: their quirks, feelings, thoughts on the village, and daily schedules. These reports were more demanding than what Sakura had done for Kabuto, but at the same time they were somewhat easier as she had plenty of time to talk to her teammates.

Kakashi kept Team Seven burning the midnight oil on D-Rank missions and that created lots of chit-chat opportunities. Help someone repair their roof, pick some potatoes, and babysit: normal, everyday things that the civilian population of Konoha needed done. Sakura was finding herself talking with Naruto and Sasuke any chance she'd get, teasing out bits of information to go into the reports.

Not to say things had gone smoothly. Sasuke and Kakashi were still mostly enigmas, not letting their pink comrade get too close. Whenever she'd get too prying with her questions with Kakashi, he'd find some way of turning them around and making a joke out of it. Sasuke was just plain hostile. Any attempt to talk about anything that wasn't work-related and he'd tell her to stop being annoying. Even Naruto, who would usually open-up to Sakura at just a word, was finding ways to get out of answering the most personal of questions.

Thankfully, her rather sparse reports hadn't been criticized yet. She wasn't putting her all into writing them and whoever the reader was probably could tell. They were far more personal than anything she had done for Kabuto, but Sakura was sure she wouldn't be able to drag her feet for too much longer on getting her act together. There hadn't been a return message just yet but it had to be coming.

Today had been a rather long official day as well. Kakashi had crammed two missions into one afternoon and both of them were particularly ugly: working on a farm outside the walls and painting a chicken coop. Because they were both at the same location the copy ninja obviously thought it would be a small matter in knocking them both out at once. He had neglected to check just how big of a field his students would have to plow or how much work had to be done _before _the coop could even be painted. The sun had been down for over an hour before they had finished and Kakashi had once again disappeared before anyone could seriously start yelling at him. He had shown them a cool katon jutsu to get enough light to work, though.

Sakura had to say that she was happier working on her own than for Kabuto. There was no digging through garbage or hanging out at seedy restaurants; instead, it was like she was finally being trusted to do her mission without someone looking over her shoulder. Sakura could almost treat this like a regular mission if she really tried.

Somewhere inside Sakura's mind the concepts of "forced compliance" and "willing participant" were starting to blur. When was the last time she had looked for a way to get around the seal Kabuto had placed on her? Sakura could honestly say she hadn't thought about it since she had become a Genin.

But what had changed? Sakura had thought that becoming a Genin would change things in the long term. Maybe Kakashi would teach them something that would indirectly help her get out from under the death seal or someone would realize Sakura needed help? Those hopes had been dashed when all Kakashi did was guide them through basic exorcize drills. When he actually did teach the team something new, he spent far more time on Sasuke or Naruto than her. Although it made Sakura happy that Sasuke was getting stronger, the helplessness of her situation had truly begun to sink in. She wouldn't learn anything useful about fighting off Kabuto's influence for years - if not longer.

"Why shouldn't I go along with it, then?" Sakura petulantly muttered to herself as she put the finishing touches on her report for the night. "At least his mission doesn't involve painting a chicken coop."

Sakura knew why she still felt guilty about it, though, and that was because Team Seven had grown on her over the last few months. Even if she was treated like just a burden by Kakashi and Sasuke, they still paid her some attention. Naruto, for all his annoyances, treated her like a friend. At what point did acceptance overrule the desire for responsibility? What point did self-preservation win out over loyalty? The safety of the village was supposed to be the single-most important emotion in a ninja's heart, but all Sakura could think about lately was her own selfish comfort zone.

The genin slammed shut the cover of her report journal and sent it back through the summoning scroll. Sakura didn't want to have to think about things like this! The real bottom line was she couldn't help anyone if she were dead and that meant continuing on as a spy. End of story. Everything that might come as a bonus or a good thing was just a side effect of the primary disorder.

"Sakura! Dinner! We're having chicken stir fry so come on down."

Well, not everything was bad. The Genin gleefully rolled back up her scroll and tucked it back into her dresser before running down the stairs.

At the table, her mother was just scooping out dinner onto their plates when her daughter came bolting down from the second floor.

"Must be hungry today, hmm? I'm glad you're done with that silly diet; I was starting to get worried."

"I'm still watching what I'm eating," Sakura quickly responded. "It's just I'm doing more with what I'm taking in. Kakashi-sensei told me about nutrients that I was missing by not eating."

Actually, it was some late night training that led to Sakura getting some actual advice from her team leader. The Jounin had mistaken Sakura's drained state for lack of proper nutrition and had pulled her aside from some one-on-one. Although the girl had known that chakra was a mix of mental control and physical stamina, she hadn't known that vitamin intake had a lot to do with it as well. Although she still was watching her figure, supplementing her diet with some over-the-counter vitamins had become the norm.

Though, Sakura was wondering why she still bothered. Sasuke wasn't paying her any attention; in fact, if you counted arguing as conversation, he was more interested in Naruto. The two practically went out of their way to antagonize one another. Maybe the reason Sasuke never showed any interest in girls was because that he was actually...

"No!" Sakura shouted, frightening her mother and disrupting the dinner. The pink-haired girl slammed her forehead against the tabletop a few times to get the disturbing image out of her head. Ignoring her wary mother, she settled back down to her meal, though with less of an appetite than before.

Eventually things would settle down enough that Sakura could focus more her dreams than on immediate survival. Once Kabuto and his boss got whatever it was that they wanted, Sakura would have more than enough time to work on Sasuke.

After helping her mother clean up the dishes, Sakura went out for her afternoon run around the block. It was a short rout, but Sakura made up for it by taking to the streets full of shopping crowds. Ducking and weaving, she managed to get enough of a burn going that it felt like exorcize, though. With the adults yelling at her for getting too close, going too fast, or otherwise looking happy, Sakura was also getting to train her ability to tune things out.

Sakura decided to be daring today. She took a running leap at a cart carrying boxes outside a storefront and used it as a platform to get onto the rooftops. Up here, it was entirely different; several ninja either stopped to talk with each other or carrying on their business. Where the streets were the avenues of the civilians, the roofways were the highways of the ninja. Sakura didn't often go up there since it was far more difficult to navigate without falling, but it was good for a run.

The buildings of Konoha were an odd bunch. Some were flat and good for running; others were pointed at the top and had difficult balconies to navigate. There was an unspoken agreement between the civilians and ninja of the village: the latter could use the former's homes to get around so long as nothing was disturbed. Most ninja didn't have problems with this, but Sakura had to stop and pick up a flowerpot or two that she knocked over scrambling from roof to roof. It was annoying, but before taking her training seriously Sakura doubted she'd even be able to get up here. She did wish that she could mold chakra like the more advanced ninja, though. That would certainly make this far simpler.

Molding chakra was Sakura's specialty, but she didn't know how or where to apply it to be able to "stick" to the sides of the buildings. There was sure to be a certain practice behind it and Kakashi hadn't taught anyone on their team it yet, though Sakura doubted that Naruto would be able to pick it up without a lot more training. That was probably why Kakashi was putting it off.

"Sakura-san, good afternoon." The voice frightened Sakura so much that she slipped off the balcony railing she had been perched on. Kabuto, for that's whom the voice belonged to, was hanging upside-down inside the rain overhang. "Did I startle you?" he asked with no small amount of amusement.

The Genin knew that getting mad would only make it all the more fun for the other spy. "Only your hideous face," Sakura snapped as she crawled back onto the balcony. "What do you want?"

Kabuto put his hands up in surrender and gracefully dropped onto the balcony itself. "You have a special mission."

"I'm not your underling anymore. Go do your own dirty work. I have my own jobs from **your** boss to complete these days."

"Yes, and I'm sure writing basic reports taxes your abilities to their limit," Kabuto replied. He was neither annoyed nor amused, just exasperated. "Regardless, these orders come from the highest possible authority."

Seeing that the girl wasn't going to argue any further, Kabuto pulled out a small letter and held it out. It was in a leathery envelope and sealed with a wax motif that Sakura had never seen before.

"These orders define your objective and I would suggest you follow it to the letter. Once you're finished, report directly back to me."

Sakura took the letter and slipped it under her belt. "Are they time sensitive?"

Kabuto shrugged. "It's all in your orders. I wouldn't count on much sleep tonight if I were you." He looked to his right, squinted for a moment, and slowly turned back to his associate. "I've lingered too long in this area, I'm afraid. Head straight back to your home and take no detours. This mission is too important to be jeopardized by incompetence."

The spy stayed where he was until Sakura was out of sight. When she was gone, the kage bunshin disappeared in a puff of smoke right as the real Kabuto sliced through his ANBU tail's throat. The man let out a low gurgle, but otherwise it was a clean and quiet kill.

"And just when I needed a restock," Kabuto noted. "Thank you, ANBU-san."

Sometimes things just _worked_ and life loved you.

* * *

Back at home, Sakura quickly informed her mother she was back before bolting up to her room and locking the door. The blinds were already down and dusk was settling over the village so she felt somewhat secure.

Sakura pulled out the letter and slowly broke the seal on it. The wax cut away easily, allowed the small folded paper inside to fall out onto Sakura's palm. She looked it over and, upon not seeing anything written on the outside, unfolded it.

_You are to meet a representative of Konoha's ANBU ROOT at the front office of the Hokage Tower at midnight. Speak with the receptionist; a reason for your visit is already in place – tell the receptionist that you are representing Orochimaru. Your cover was purposefully compromised, so they will be expecting you._

_The mission is to be a representative of myself and to secure an alliance between ROOT and our force. Their leader is very interested in acquiring several enhancements that I have developed over the years. Use this to your advantage when it comes to the negotiations and inform him that the enhancements can be done in Konoha itself, with no need to travel to Otogakure. _

_I do not need to remind you that I would be cross should the talks fall through. I'm putting my faith in you so do not disappoint._

The young girl read and reread the letter again and again, as if trying to will the words to change. When they didn't, she crumpled the letter and threw it to the ground in a fit. Just as well, though, as it turned to ash moments after it left Sakura's hands.

Otogakure, the village hidden in the sound, was her employer then. There had been some talk about a new hidden village being formed in the Land of Rice Fields, but Sakura had only recently heard the name. Otogakure had taken over the civilian government of Rice and quickly squashed all news coming and going from the country.

Sakura had spent months trying to figure out who Kabuto could have been working for and never had Otogakure even crossed Sakura's mind. Working for a village rather than an individual was a far worse crime in Konoha; whereas one person could only do so much damage, an entire enemy village could theoretically destroy Konoha. Was Oto going to try and attack Konoha or were they a new village that just wanted more information about a powerful neighbor? An alliance with ANBU would lean more to the former than the latter.

Then again, it wasn't really ANBU was it? Sakura had never heard of an organization called ANBU ROOT before. The name "Orochimaru" was just as mysterious. Sakura felt like she had heard it somewhere before, but it was impossible to pinpoint exactly where.

Otogakure, ROOT, Orochimaru – Sakura didn't know anything about any of them yet she was supposed to act as a representative? What was the leadership of Otogakure thinking? And ROOT already knew that she was a spy? This "Orochimaru" was sending Sakura to her death and there was no way to escape. If she missed the rendezvous, Sakura was certain that her death seal would activate; if she took the mission, then she'd die for failing it or be tortured by whatever the ANBU ROOT was.

Sakura glanced at her clock. It was a bit past eight. "Not much time," the girl mumbled. Nevertheless, she quickly gathered her equipment and ran back downstairs and out the door into the street.

Konoha's library was a grand building, though only one story appeared above ground. It was wholly different from the academy library, the only thing that had been available to students, in that it contained books on specific jutsu, chakra theory, and, most importantly, mission reports that had been declassified.

These mission reports were what Sakura was after. She showed her shinobi registration to the guards at the door and was allowed inside, though with restrictions on what someone of her rank could look at. This mostly limited her to reports on missions that were C-Rank or lower, but that was good enough for now. There was a wealth of information from the Second and Third Shinobi Wars to pore over.

In these reports, Orochimaru was a common figure. Sakura was surprised to find that he used to be a ninja under the Hokage, back before the latter had gotten his title; Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, otherwise known as the Sannin of Konoha. That was a name that Sakura had heard back in academy history class. The Genin felt like an idiot for not recognizing Orochimaru's name sooner.

What, though, was a Sannin doing in Otogakure? He was apparently a missing-nin, though why this was Sakura couldn't discover. The detailed mission records only went up to around the time of the beginning of the Second Shinobi War. What might have happened after that was sealed away still. In any event, there wasn't any connection that Sakura could see between him and the Land of Rice Fields.

That was the other thing: Otogakure wasn't mentioned at all in these reports. It was a recently created village so Sakura wasn't expecting anything per say, but there wasn't even a passing mention about trouble in the Land of Rice Fields. By both population and landmass, all of the other nations had it beat. Why any ninja would choose to congregate there was a mystery. The only thing the Land of Rice Fields had going for it was the remarkable agricultural output it boasted. Rice, and the countries around it, was practically the breadbasket for Konoha, Iwa, and Kumo.

"Maybe that's why it needed a village?" Sakura guessed. Rice had been one of the many hotly-contested battlefields in the last three wars so maybe the people wanted a village to protect themselves with? Having Orochimaru, a famous missing-nin, run it was probably all the better. Oto would have a strong start with an experienced leader who would know the ins-and-outs of administration and training.

Regardless of the reasons, Sakura ran off copies of more than a few pages from different economical books she had found. By the time she had ran off the last one, it was closing in on eleven-thirty; just enough time to make it to the Tower.

Sakura stepped inside the doorway at five after twelve. The guards hadn't given her any trouble now that she was sporting a genuine Konoha hitai-ate. Still, anyone that wanted further access into the tower had to talk to the receptionist.

The desk that the chunin clerk sat at was situated in the middle of the lobby. Usually there were two there so that the waiting time would be cut, but this late at night one was plenty. The man, probably in his late thirties and wearing thick glasses, was thumbing through a magazine which he didn't even bother to put down when Sakura walked up to the desk.

"Excuse me," the young teen murmured, looking around the room in case someone could overhear. "I'm representing Orochimaru…"

"Door to the right, straight down the hall, utility closet, manhole entrance."

Okay, what? Sakura blinked several times in disbelief as she was summarily dismissed so easily. At first, she didn't think the man had actually paid her any attention so she spoke back up.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm representing _Orochimaru._"

The man only replied with the same information, again not even glancing at the girl. It was almost like he was an automated answering machine rather than a human being. A few moments later something finally clicked inside Sakura's head: it was a genjutsu. Someone had put the receptionist under a mind-altering spell. It was the only explanation.

Eager to leave before someone discovered that the receptionist had been tampered with, Sakura hurriedly took off for the directions she had been given. It took some time, but Sakura eventually did find an old manhole cover under a few boxes of cleaning supplies. It was rusted and it broke one of Sakura's kunai before coming uncorked. There was an abyss staring back at the girl: literally, there was no light to be seen down there.

"I've come this far." Sakura tittered on her feet for only a moment longer before she hopped into the hole.

She wanted to scream when there wasn't anything under her feet. Sakura put out her hands to slow her fall, but the slick rock gave up no cracks upon which to catch her fingers. Furthermore, there wasn't enough room to turn her body; she was falling uncontrollably. The only thing she could do was look down.

Finally, a speck of light appeared at the bottom. The problem was that it wasn't showing the floor. Sakura grit her teeth and desperately put out all her limbs. Her sandals skidded on the stone walls of the tube and her hands were burning as if they were atop an oven, but she was slowing. Just as her feet were about to hit the end, she _stopped._ It was as if invisible hands had caught her on the way down and were now holding her in place.

After pulling her thoughts back from the edge of pandemonium, Sakura discovered the reason for her abrupt salvation: there was the faint glow of chakra around her hands and feet. In her desperation, Sakura must have tried to use earth manipulation on the walls. Instead of sinking into them, though, her chakra just grabbed on. She wasn't questioning it right now, though, and instead let out a haggard breath that she had been holding the whole way down.

That floor was a good fifty meters below. From what Sakura could see, it was a stone platform jutting out over a giant central shaft. There was what looked like a network of pipes running down the middle, but none were close enough to grab onto. She would have to climb back up and find another way.

Of course, that would have been the plan if the sliver of light from above didn't suddenly extinguish. Sakura looked up in disbelief as the dim circle of light from the storeroom eclipsed into darkness with a loud _thunk_ from the cover being put back into place.

Sakura's hand slipped a few inches and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. It would be impossible to both climb back up the shaft and pry open the cover again, just as it was impossible for her to land safely below.

She pumped more chakra into her limbs and started to slowly inch down to the lip of the tube inch by terrifying inch. With every bit of distance traveled her confidence returned and her trepidation eased. Her chakra easily mixed and held onto the stone and it reminded her of the focus training she had done to learn earth manipulation in the first place; keeping a rock stuck to your foot was almost the same as sticking yourself to a surface, though Sakura wished she could have had that revelation in safety rather than this. The most harrowing part of her journey came when her foot hit nothing but air and she had to turn around so that her head would be facing the floor – not the easiest thing to do.

The question now was how to get to the ground without killing herself. The platform didn't look any closer and there was still nothing around to hold onto to get down there. If it were only a drop of twenty meters, Sakura was confident that she could land correctly. Over one hundred was impossible, though.

Focus, Sakura told herself. There was one way down that wouldn't kill her: crawl along the ceiling and go down the wall to the platform. It wasn't much better than just trying to fall and not snap her neck, but there was little choice. Slowly, Sakura picked up one of her hands and felt around from the bottom of the tube. She couldn't immediately feel the ceiling, which was bad, but she also didn't fall with only three appendages holding on, either.

"If I just take it one step at a time," Sakura told herself, "I can't possibly fall." Easier said than done, but the girl managed to summon up enough courage to shift her body further down until her head and chest were fully outside the tube. This would be the most difficult part of her plan.

A sudden cramp made her leg spasm and with a scream her legs gave way. Sakura screamed, but pumped all the chakra she could into her hands. They held fast astride the end of the tube as her body swung like a doll below her. The strain of holding her entire bodyweight on just her arms was intense, compounded as it was by the friction burns they had received stopping her initial fall.

Sakura gritted her teeth and clenched her abs. She was able to painstakingly lift her lower body until her feet could hit the lip of the tunnel.

Too close, Sakura thought. Now she was completely on the outside of the tube and could see the ceiling a few feet up. From there it was just a matter of crawling up to it like a monkey.

Walking upside-down wasn't as terrifying as Sakura thought it would be. In fact, it was easier since she didn't have to hold any part of her body up with her own muscle power, instead letting gravity do its thing. The first few steps were harrowing since only one part of her body would be touching the ceiling. Sakura had already lowered her chakra center of gravity toward her lower body through the _Moguragakure no Jutsu _training, so manipulating the amount of chakra needed to keep a sure footing wasn't too difficult.

Sakura finally reached the wall and took an experimental step onto it. Her body had to be held ridged, but it was much the same as walking upside down. She was probably going to have a sore back after it was all said and done, though.

The platform was a bit larger than Sakura had guessed originally. It was made of hard limestone that was seemingly carved out of the center cavern's walls. Sakura walked over to the edge and tried to guess how deep it was – impossible to tell was her assessment. The various pipes and platforms that were strung over the chasm gave no indication on what the place was used for.

Footsteps from behind made Sakura look up from her inspection. A before-unnoticed door at the end of the platform had opened and a tall figure was looking out from its doorway. He was wearing a thick white cloak with a bird mask and looked to be of medium height and build. It looked as if he were shuffling, but that look was deceiving – a skilled ninja was ready in whatever posture and the more relaxed they looked the more dangerous they were.

"Where is Yakushi Kabuto?" the ANBU demanded. He looked at ease, but Sakura was certain that his state of readiness could change in an instant if the need arose. "We were told to expect him for this audience."

Sakura was too confused to reply right away. Why would they be expecting Kabuto? Even more, how did they know he was a spy? Hadn't he said that this mission wasn't his because it would compromise his cover?

"Well, I'm the one that's here," Sakura responded. She had eased her hand back to her weapons pouch, but the ANBU either didn't notice or care. Considering how much skill was needed to get into ANBU, it was probably the latter.

The man seemed to consider this for a moment as his head was tilted over to one side. "Come with me," he ordered and walked away.

It turned out that the door didn't lead to another part of the Hokage Tower, but instead went a short way into the wall and ended at a flight of stairs. Those stairs took them right back out over the central chasm and made for an amazing view.

The masked ANBU led Sakura further and further into the depths of the Tower. The winding staircase that they were forced to use loomed over the depths still not transverse. It was so deep that Sakura got dizzy when she first looked over the railing.

"How long has this been down here?" she asked, but immediately felt stupid for asking. Obviously no one could carry on a secret excavation like this without everyone within thirty blocks being up in arms about the noise. It had to have been built the same time the main tower was.

It was such a silly question that Sakura didn't even expect an answer, but the masked ANBU surprised her. "There are depths like this all over the village, collectively called the 'Yamato Works'," he explained. "They are leftover deployment highways that we used to use when the village itself was under attack. Most of the entrances and exits are now shops and apartments and thus blocked, however."

Sakura was awed. "It's like the roots of a tree. You could deploy rapidly from anywhere at any time and so long as the battle stayed in the city you could harass and cutoff entire groups of enemies." Something like that had been planned from the very beginning of the village? It was amazing that the population hadn't completely discovered it yet, what with all the pipes and such around them.

As if he could read the girl's mind, again the ANBU shed some light on the unvoiced query.

"The pipes you see are what remain of the original village center: the waterlines, the message tunnels, and the steam pipes. Since there is hardly any new development this far downtown, it's not a common thing to cover-up." The ANBU tilted his head and glanced back at Sakura. "You are correct about the deployment. These tunnels saved Konoha during the First War." He didn't say anything else and Sakura considered the conversation closed at that point. The praise was enough to bolster her spirits a bit, though.

Finally, after going through what seemed like miles of tunnels, stairs, and hanging walkways the duo arrived at a wide-open platform strung over the middle of the abyss. Though the metal was rusted and crumbling, the ANBU stepped onto the artificial floor without a look and Sakura followed. When she was in the middle, the four corners of the square lit up with dim candlelight and several shapes in the darkness formed at the edges of the shadows.

Sakura belatedly noticed that her ANBU guide was gone and that she was surrounded. Her first instinct was to cringe or cower, but she was the representative of another village; what she did would reflect on Otogakure and could possibly affect the negotiations. Therefore, she forced herself to remain as ridged as a metal pole.

"Haruno Sakura: age 12, eighty-two pounds, four feet-eleven inches." Someone had spoken up from the crowd of dark and was slowly walking forward. First only his sandaled feet appeared in the dim light, but slowly flowing black robes came into view. Then a cane and. Sakura's eyes couldn't hide the shock as Shimura Danzo came into view.

The elder still had the same condescending look in his eye that he first greeted Sakura with months ago. "We were expecting Kabuto and instead we get you."

"You're the traitor? You're on the village council!" Sakura's voice rang out in the emptiness of the Yamato Works. She wheeled around wildly, looking at each of the masked faces surrounding her. It had to be a civil war! That's the only reason a councilman would be working with a missing-nin.

Danzo's visible eye narrowed. In the scant lighting his face took on a more terrifying hue and the barest flickers of a disgusted grimace tweaked the corners of his lips. "Orochimaru means to insult me, then." It seemed Danzo was talking to himself more than Sakura. "This will not be forgotten. Fu," he looked to the ANBU to his right, "deal with her and send a team for Kabuto. We'll exterminate the entire den of snakes in one swoop."

Sakura took a step back when the tall ANBU member slowly pulled a tanto out from under his cloak. "Wait! Forgive me, Danzo-sama!" She dropped to her knees and bowed, praying that she hadn't let her mouth dig her own grave. "P-Please! I was honestly sent here to negotiate, but I wasn't told who I was going to meet. It was a surprise, sir!"

It was deathly silent, but Sakura didn't dare to look up. She could hear shuffling from in front and hoped it wasn't Fu coming to lop off her head. Instead of a blade, though, it was a sandaled foot that crashed into her head. The force from the kick was unlike anything Sakura had ever felt and it lifted her off the ground. When she landed a few feet back she knew she busted her lip as blood was starting to pool in her mouth.

Danzo lazily waved off Fu as he advanced on the prone girl. "That's enough." The ROOT member bowed his head and slipped back into formation. The elder tapped his cane on the ground, indicating that Sakura should crawl back to her previous position, which she did. "Tell me the conditions that Orochimaru wishes to propose."

"Orochimaru," Sakura coughed and spit out a glob of blood, "wishes to form an alliance between Otogakure and ROOT. He offers research data and believes you know to what it refers to." She didn't exactly know what Orochimaru was offering, but based on the letter there was probably a medical procedure that Danzo wanted done. Sakura hoped her guess wasn't too far off as the letter had been fairly vague. "There is also no need to travel to Otogakure for the procedure: it can be done in Konoha."

"Orochimaru said that, did he? That is not much of an incentive to trust a band of traitors."

Damn. If Kabuto were the ones doing the negotiating he'd know what to say. Sakura sucked on the inside of her lip to stop some of the bleeding as she tried to think of something to say. There had to be an argument somewhere or some little bit of the letter she could be overlooking!

"I see you have nothing else to say. In that case I'll have to-"

"If you're planning on starting a civil war then you'll need an alliance with Otogakure!" Sakura's eyes were clenched shut as she blithely continued, shouting over Danzo's words. "Otogakure and Orochimaru control the Land of Rice. Fifty-three percent of Konoha's food imports come from Rice and the areas around it while thirty-two percent of its trade comes from duties imposed on imports from the same area. Orochimaru will surely feel insulted that you declined the alliance and never accept any official trade proposals should you refuse. If you don't deal with us now, then once you have power you'll be facing a famine and massive tax shortfall."

The councilman watched in silence as Sakura continued to rattle off numbers she had memorized hours before at the library. Statistics, tax records, census information - whatever linked Konoha and the Land of Rice together was recited in precise figures. There were a billion little ways that any country was connected to another, but Sakura was making her case based on how important agriculturally the Land of Rice was to Konoha and any perspective ruling government.

Danzo's walking stick cracked against the floor hard enough to make the platform wobble and it effectively silenced Sakura's babbling.

"I am well aware of the amount Konoha relies on the northern coastal regions." The old man was nearly growling his words and Sakura bent her head even further down. "However, you underestimate the ability of Konoha to get what it needs. There are more places than Rice to get food. Our nation is also large enough that we could simply produce all we need from inside Fire's boarders with a few years' development."

For one horrible moment, Sakura thought that he was going to order her execution again. Her fist clenched despite the pain: she would fight this time. When the man continued, though, it set her at ease.

"Nevertheless, your argument is sound for now. The immediate instability that would come from a direct conflict with Otogakure would not be wise to court." Danzo was tapping his index finger against the head of his cane as he mulled over all the possibilities. "You may tell Orochimaru that ROOT is tentatively interested in his proposal. I will expect further details on what he wants to do, though, before we commit to anything."

It was an abrupt dismissal, but Sakura felt the weight of it cascade off her shoulders in waves and her head slumped forward gratefully. She just let herself recover for a moment, hoping that no one minded.

When Sakura finally looked up for further direction, she found that Danzo was gone. Most of the ANBU were gone, actually, and only the original dog-masked man was left. Feeling a bit foolish that she had missed the departure of half a dozen people, Sakura scrambled to her feet.

"Come with me," the man said and started walking further into the Yamato Works. When Sakura started moving, he reached into his cloak and pulled out a small medical pouch when he tossed over his shoulder.

Sakura mumbled her thanks as she carefully unzipped the pouch. Her hands were burning horribly and her bottom lip was still oozing blood. Carefully, the young girl dabbed some medical balm on her lip. It burnt, but she knew that it was fighting infection and would heal the cut far faster than normal. The bruises would be another matter, but Sakura was confident she could explain those away as a training accident. Gauze came next and Sakura painstakingly wrapped her hands after spreading a liberal amount of balm there as well. She had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from vocalizing how much it stung.

The ANBU ahead said nothing as he continued to lead. If he noticed the girl's discomfort he didn't comment. When Sakura tossed back the medic pack, he effortlessly caught it and slipped it back under his cloak.

It was another ten minutes before they stopped. The ANBU was standing next to a manhole cover and a ladder made from large iron staples hammered into the wall. When Sakura just looked at him, he nodded his head at the ladder. "We'll be in contact with Orochimaru," he said. "Don't return here without our invitation." There was an un-voiced threat in the man's words that Sakura wasn't in any hurry to tempt.

Konoha was largely quiet as Sakura poked her head above ground. It was well into the early-morning hours, perhaps around two, and there were no people on the streets. Cautiously, Sakura climbed out of the manhole and replaced the cover, watching as it faded into the cobblestone of the street. That answered the question of how ROOT could afford to have exits all over the city.

Sakura did her best to avoid any patrols or wandering eyes as she made her way back home. There was no curfew for active ninja, but someone would certainly wonder why a young genin was out this late. Guards were notoriously studious in the record keeping; anything out of the ordinary would be in their report for the night. She didn't know how much Kakashi bothered with reading random reports, but minimizing paper trails was one of the first things Sakura had learned about being a good infiltrator at the Academy. She didn't want any record of tonight and she had to trust that Danzo's people would deal with any traces of her visit to the tower.

Still, her mind drifted back to what she had gone through with a small bit of pride. So many things could have, and did, go wrong and yet she had overcome them. Kabuto's plan, whatever it was, had failed; Sakura was still alive and relatively unharmed. More than that, she now had an even stronger connection to Danzo than just passing introductions. They were tentative compatriots so long as whatever Orochimaru had planned didn't fall through.

Her mind drifted back over all she had learned tonight. Information was a powerful asset and tonight's dealings had been a wellspring. Sakura knew who she ultimately worked for and had a vague idea of what his plans were. It was terrifying to think that there could be a civil war in the village. Civil war was an ugly thing – especially for a hidden village. Casualties were horrific whenever ninja that intimately knew each other fought. Perhaps, though, it could still be averted? Danzo hadn't jumped at the idea like a desperate man, after all. Maybe he could come to terms with the Hokage before things went too far? If Sakura had learned anything about village politics over the last two years it was that important people collected contingency plans; it was very possible that this was simply Danzo covering an exposed angle in his own position?

Truthfully, Sakura didn't want to dwell on it too much. Ultimately there was little she could do to influence things from her position as a pawn. The most important thing she could do at the moment is protect herself. Kabuto had tipped his hand and failed; Sakura had to figure out a way to capitalize on that failure.

Hushed voices ahead made Sakura duck into a nearby alleyway. It was only a group of teens, but she still didn't want to risk being seen. They were loitering outside of a bar, so it wasn't likely that they would be moving anytime soon.

Well, that was just fine. Sakura smirked and forced chakra to the soles of her feet. She sprinted towards the back of the alley, leapt at the right-hand wall, and boosted herself onto the opposite roof with a small wall jump.

Armed with her newfound ability to utilize chakra to scale walls, Sakura quickly skimmed the rooftops and bypassed the group below her. Her hands still hurt whenever chakra was put into them, but Sakura was having too much fun to stop. If there was one thing she had always wanted to do, it was this. She was forced to stop several blocks over and duck back into the shadows between buildings by a patrol, but it didn't dampen her mood.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Sakura reached her house and was pleased to see that none of the lights were on. Although she locked her bedroom door, she knew that sometimes her mother checked in on her whenever the woman couldn't get to sleep.

Instead of using the door, though, Sakura crawled up the side of the two-story home and flicked open the latch on her window with a little push of chakra through the glass. It opened without a sound and the girl was back in the relative safety of her home.

The first thing she did was pull out her mission journal. It wasn't her designated time to send in her report, and the mission she had been given wasn't official, but this would be the best way to burn Kabuto. If she had done _his_ job, then certainly whoever read these messages would pass it along. Anything that made her valuable to people other than Kabuto was a victory.

_Haruno Sakura, reporting on diplomatic contact with ANBU ROOT:_

"That's how you grab attention," Sakura chuckled.

_As per mission instructions received from Agent Yakushi, contact was made with Danzo of ROOT. Tentative agreement of terms enclosed in mission instructions, but no firm conformation of alliance. Danzo stated that further contact would be necessary before committing and additional information was required. _

_Meeting was brief, ROOT leader confrontational; agent impressed the benefit of an alliance with the Land of Rice due to agricultural output and trade disruptions. Agent given impression that Danzo's ultimate goal was civil war. Suggest further surveillance to ascertain true motive. _

_Caution: ROOT compromised covers of Agents Yakushi and Haruno._

Sakura finished her letter with her typical signature: her identification code that came with the journal. She debated mentioning Orochimaru specifically, but she didn't want to give the opinion that she knew _too_ much.

She unsummoned the book and put away her quill and ink. A response probably wouldn't come for a day or two, so she could relax tonight. Team Seven had training in the morning and Sakura's wounds needed the restorative effect of sleeping and disuse to heal enough to avoid serious questions.

As she settled in for the night, the last thing on her mind was of how much money she'd pay to see the look on Kabuto's face when he got chewed-out by his superiors after that report hit their desks.


	6. Chapter 6

Author Note: Maybe I should promote this story more? Compared to my other fictions, it doesn't seem very popular at all. Then again, if I keep making transitory chapters like this one I wouldn't read it either! Rest assured, dear readers, that I'm starting to hit my stride with this story. This is the first chapter of a new major arc. I hope you will enjoy it.

Also, I don't do these usually, but big thanks to "shikome" and "For Spite". Your reviews really helped me keep going this chapter.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto.

* * *

"I'm coming, mom!"

Sakura hit the stairs running and slid the last few feet on the railing. At the bottom, she put her foot to the wall and flipped over backwards into a perfect somersault and landed, arms outstretched, in the den.

Her mother demurely clapped at the girl's antics. "Good enough for circus work," she said, having given up telling her daughter not to act like a monkey in the house weeks ago.

This kind of behavior had become a staple in the Haruno household. Every morning Sakura make her entrance for breakfast into a test of her flexibility. After only a few casualties, most of them lamps, she could now leap around the house with very little trouble: though, her mother was still getting used to the whole walking-on-the-ceiling thing.

Home was an easy place to practice. Sakura had decided not to show that she could use chakra like that to the rest of her team. Kakashi would ask how she had learned it and any big lie would raise his suspicions. Just avoiding too many questions about her bruised jaw was difficult enough – coming up with an entire scenario that led to her learning this trick would be impossible without it having a million little holes.

Thankfully her team wasn't taking difficult missions yet. In fact, they hadn't even left the village. That, combined with a distinct lack of a reply to her report several weeks ago, ensured that Sakura had all the free time she could want. She hadn't stopped collecting information for her monthly reports, but there wasn't much to report on with just morning and afternoon D-Rank missions.

Speaking of which, Kakashi had bugged them to get to the training grounds early today since they had picked up a "lost cat" mission from a noblewoman of Fire Country. Konoha was nominally related to the Fire Country, but they weren't beholden to the hierarchy of the court. Still, when someone high up wanted something done it usually got done.

Sakura scooped a moderate helping of hash browns onto her plate and debated whether or not to grab an egg. In the end, she caved and also took a piece of toast. Her diet had been going well; too well, in fact. Just the other day, when she asked her mom how she looked in a new dress, the older Haruno called her "scrappy" rather than "slim" or "trim". It was true she had bulked up and lost much of what little curve she had begun with, but Sakura didn't want to think she was quite at the scrappy level just yet.

"How's your jaw, dear?" her mother asked as Sakura took a seat. "You are being more careful, right?"

"Yeah, I'm not pushing myself so hard," Sakura answered between bites. That was a complete lie, of course. Her training had intensified now that she'd mastered chakra walking and she'd come close to blowing off various body parts as she tested how to apply chakra to different areas other than her hands and feet. Not to mention the new jutsu she was studying from her scroll. "It's no problem. Kakashi-sensei watches us all like hawks."

The older woman frowned. "He wasn't watching when you fell out of that tree and nearly broke your jaw."

"I wasn't supposed to try the chakra climbing by myself, but I did anyway. Trust me: Kakashi-sensei chewed me out on the way to the hospital." Lying so much made it effortless for Sakura by now. "I didn't try it again without his help. Look how good I've gotten!"

"Good enough to break your neck if you're not careful," she muttered. Still, the woman let the topic for the time being.

A few minutes later Sakura finished off the last of her toast and started out the door. Her team meeting wasn't for another half hour, but she wanted to get into the forest so she could practice a bit more. She caught a look at herself in the foyer mirror before she left, though, and sighed at her reflection.

"Scrappy isn't the word," Sakura sighed. Her arms and legs had noticeable tone to them, and her stomach was washboard flat, but her hair was dry and bodiless. The clothes that she now took to wearing, loose long-sleeved tee-shirts and baggy cargo pants, were to cover scars and blemishes and not show off a figure. Her figure had always been fairly boyish, but this was a step beyond.

Sakura couldn't argue with results, though. As she stepped out of her house she began her usual run to the training grounds without any problem. Kakashi always put them on laps when he'd get bored and these days they weren't any trouble for the young girl. Furthermore, her taijutsu drills had started to go better. She would still lose to Sasuke and Naruto, but it wasn't as bad as the first few weeks had been.

Naruto, though, had been the real surprise. Sakura had seen how he worked at the Academy and he was dead last. Now, though, he was soaking up instructions like a sponge. Even Sasuke had to start paying attention when they sparred.

They had grown so much, Sakura had to admit, but Kakashi hadn't taught them how to use chakra like _this._

Not even a bird took flight as Sakura swung up into a tree. She was away from the village now and could be reasonably sure of having privacy, so she started her morning practice of jumping from tree to tree. With chakra, she could launch herself into the air faster and easier, while the landings were a certainty so long as she touched a branch. She could even move chakra to her joints so that the strain of catching her entire body wouldn't pull something out of its socket.

She dropped down a few minutes from the training grounds just in case Kakashi was lurking around. Instead of obviously using her chakra to tree climb, Sakura pumped it into her legs. Tunnel vision set in as she blistered through the trees and underbrush. The chakra flowed through her body like a drug, propelling it onwards past the girl's normal limits. This had to be what the jounin did whenever they would suddenly disappear in a swirl of leaves; it was impossible to push the body that fast otherwise.

Of course, Sakura wasn't that fast yet. Even her body substitute skill wasn't faster than the speeds she had seen from Kakashi. That skill was mostly just misdirection, too. For a person to go faster than the eye could see was pure hard work.

"Sasuke-kun will probably figure it out before me," Sakura smiled as she approached her training ground. The young Uchiha was nothing but amazing in her eyes even if he didn't want to talk very much.

Sasuke and Naruto were nowhere to be seen when Sakura broke from the tree line. If convention held, Sasuke would be showing up in about thirty minutes with Naruto right when they were supposed to meet. Kakashi, of course, would be several hours late.

Her knee popped as she did some stretches to wind down from her earlier workout. Maybe, if she could avoid wreaking the training area, she could try out that new jutsu?

"You're here early."

The sudden voice did startle Sakura, but she was getting better at controlling herself. Instead of jumping, she quickly glanced over her shoulder at the boom-headed jounin walking in from the main road.

"Me?" she asked, incredulous. "You had to have left your house last night to make it here this early!"

Kakashi's visible eye dipped low as he pouted behind that mask of his. "Is that really what my students think of me? There just weren't any old women to help this morning." The jounin never took all the threats and jokes hurled at him seriously. He looked around the grounds as he pulled out his favorite piece of pornography. "The other two aren't here yet? I did say this was an important client, right?"

"The Fire Lord's wife, right?" Sakura remembered the quick explanation their teacher had given them yesterday and blushed. "I-I thought you were making that up to scare us."

There was a long silence between the two before Kakashi sighed. He even ran his free hand through his hair. "What am I going to do with you kids? Come on, the others will have to catch up."

After leaving a note, Kakashi led Sakura into another section of the forest around the city. The trees weren't quite as thick here, but there were more briars and shrubs. She stared at the underbrush with trepidation; Kakashi would probably make her go in there.

"So, our target is a black cat named Tora. It has a red ribbon on its ear and it escaped last night from our client's hotel." Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a small radio transmitter. He flipped the switch on it and tossed it over to his student. "We'll track and capture it. You remember the tracking drills from the Academy, right?"

It was a small headset so Sakura slipped it on under her hitai-ate and pulled the mic down to her lips; it was already set to the correct channel.

"I think so." Sakura's tracking skills had improved a lot since the Academy, actually. "What pattern do you want to use, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi tapped the spin of his book and looked around. "Since there are only two of us, how about a 360 pattern, starting here?"

A 360-degree search pattern started at one point and then radiated outwards in circular bands until the searcher picked up a trail. Sakura had only used it at the Academy, but she was familiar with it. "Sensei, it would be easier to wait for the others if we're going to use that one." Well, maybe not with Naruto, but Sasuke could pick up a trail if he came across one.

"You were at the top of your class when it came to tactics and near the top on tracking: I think you can cover it until they get here." The jounin backed himself up against a large tree and settled in for a long read. "You can start whenever," he said, waving his hand in Sakura's general direction.

The forest was fairly untouched by man and that worked in Sakura's favor. Although it was right outside the city, it didn't get much through-traffic from the civilians due to the main roads being nowhere near it. The only things that would disturb the ground and foliage out here would be animals.

A stray gust of wind shifted the forest, cooling the otherwise balmy atmosphere. It was still early morning, but the humidity was starting to pick up. Sakura was walking her tracking route and making sure to pay special attention to thick bushes and tree stumps: places a small animal would seek shelter in during the day.

For certain Kakashi would have already found the animal. Sakura didn't know why he insisted on her going through all this. Since it was an important mission, and the rest of the team wasn't around, there was no reason to force her to track down a cat. She began her counterclockwise turn to expand the search radius, but in her annoyance she didn't bother carefully skirting a small bush.

At first she thought the resulting sound was from the shrub. There were a few loud snaps from nearby and a faint rustle. Frowning in concentration, Sakura carefully stooped over and examined the ground. On the other side of the bush there were tiny paw prints – those of a large house cat.

"Sakura to Kakashi," she whispered into her microphone, "I think I've found the target." No one answered and there was only static. "Sensei?"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's shrill shout made the girl slap the earpiece out of her ear. "Sakura-chan, where are you?"

"Naruto, stop yelling into the microphone!" That had scared the wits out of her! "Where's Kakashi-sensei?"

It sounded like there was a scuffle on the other end of the line before a voice came back. It wasn't Naruto, though. "He gave us these headsets and told us to follow your direction." It was Sasuke and he didn't sound very pleased. "Where are you at?"

Kakashi had said _**what?**_ "_My _direction? He said that?" The jounin was the leader of the team, not any individual genin. "He said this was an important mission."

"You were out here the longest. You must have found _something_ by now," Sasuke snarked. The strain in his voice was plain. "Right?"

"The target went southwest. If you two can get ahead of him and flush him back to me, we can catch him." Whatever Kakashi was doing could be figured out later. Right now the best thing to do would be to catch Tora while they knew where he was. "Let's go!"

Tora, though, proved to be more of an opponent than any of the genin had imagined. He was motivated and agile, avoiding any of the traps that Naruto put up for him. He was currently leading the blond on a wild chase through a briar patch that had him screaming every time he'd move.

Not that Sasuke was doing much better. He had just run off rather than deal with Naruto. Tora had led him around in circles since the boy was too hasty, wanting to get done quickly, and didn't keep in mind where he had already been. Without Kakashi there to bark orders at the two they weren't a very effective team.

In the meantime Sakura had been trying to direct without getting angry. Naruto was trying to impress her by running around like a wild boar and Sasuke wasn't listening at all. She was setting up pit and snare traps, but without help Tora would never be driven into them.

"Sasuke-kun," she called out over the transmitter, "I've setup some traps. If you can help, we can catch him." No answer. He had either switched his set off or was ignoring her, so Sakura tried a different approach. "Naruto? Naruto! Stop running around and listen to me!"

The blond fell out of the nearest bush, covered in briars and thistles. There were also several scratches on his face. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" He pulled a particularly large thistle out of his hair and threw it, only to see Sakura standing nearby. "Sakura-chan! I almost had him!"

Sakura belted him across the head for his trouble and to prevent him from running back off by himself again. "Naruto, I've been calling for help for over ten minutes! Where were you?"

Naruto blinked and raised his hand to where his headset would have been; there was only a wire dangling from his ear. "Ah, I must have lost it. Sorry, Sakura-chan!"

Deep breaths. Sakura had to remember to take **deep** breaths or else she'd hit him again. "Listen to me, Naruto! We can catch him ourselves if you work with me instead of going off by yourself." She motioned to the patch of forest behind her. "If Tora goes in there we can catch him. Where did you last see him?"

"He led me through those briers. He's got to be in there still!"

Sakura looked at the thick tangle of undergrowth. It would be hard to flush a cat out of there. "Okay, you go around to the northwest side and I'll go to the northeast. We can funnel him out if we make a lot of noise."

It took some doing, but Naruto was eventually in position. At Sakura's mark, they started working their way into the briers, making as much noise as possible. At first nothing happened and Sakura wondered if Naruto had really been chasing Tora. When she was about to give up, though, a small black mass darted out from the foliage. Naruto shouted and followed, ignoring the rest of the plan. He and the cat had gone deeper into the forest before Sakura could stop them.

She groaned when Naruto screamed a few seconds later, followed by a loud yowl from an animal. At least they had run into the patch of forest she had set traps in.

When Sakura found her teammate he was caught between two trees with both his legs in snares. Spread-eagle as he was, Naruto couldn't even bend upwards enough to cut himself loose. Tora, however, had hit one of the pit traps and was trying to claw his way up the smooth sides of his earth prison without any results.

"Not bad," Sakura called out, smiling smugly at the struggling cat and Naruto. "I told you not to run ahead, Naruto. Tora could have gotten away if you had set off all the traps before he could get into one!"

She cut Naruto down with two well-aimed kunai and had him gather up Tora. The cat struggled and scratched, but Naruto held fast, taking out his frustrations on making sure that it wouldn't get away again.

In the space between cutting Naruto down and gathering up Tora, Kakashi and Sasuke made their appearance. The latter was looking decidedly upset while the former was grinning behind his mask.

"Those were some quick traps, Sakura; effective, too." Kakashi's teasing voice clued the rest in on just why Sasuke had been indisposed to help with the chase. It also explained why he was glaring at Sakura. "We captured Tora, though. Red ribbon on the ear and everything. Good work Sakura, Naruto. Mission complete."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear at both the praise and happiness from not being the only one that got tangled in one of Sakura's traps. He let out a celebratory "yeah!" and stomped off into the woods towards Konoha in his own victory parade with Tora swinging helplessly from his arms.

Sakura's smile fell when Sasuke pushed past her. He hadn't said two words to her today and it didn't look like he'd break his vow of silence.

"You know, if he hadn't been hanging upside down for half an hour I'm sure he would have been impressed," Kakashi oh-so-helpfully said as he walked by. He ruffled the girl's hair when she decided to catch up. "That was good work. You actually got Naruto to listen to you for a few minutes."

Sakura ignored the praise. This was mostly Kakashi's fault in the first place what with telling the boys to follow her orders. Today marked the first time he'd ever explicitly stated that she was in charge, but lately he'd been delegating more oversight to her than the other two. On the other hand, he'd been personally training Naruto and Sasuke just a bit more than her as well.

"What are you up to, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura muttered under her breath. It was a toss-up if the man actually heard her or not for his face was as blank as the mask he wore.

* * *

Naruto stormed right inside the Hokage Tower when they arrived, loudly calling for someone to take Tora; those scratches were really starting to add up. Fortunately, a rather large woman ran over and scooped up the traumatized pet before it could get in anymore swipes.

"Tora! My baby!"

No one on Team Seven felt sorry for the little monster as it was reunited with its master. The Daimyo's wife held him to her breast like she was holding onto a life preserver in the ocean.

As the woman went over to pay her bill, Naruto approached the mission panel. It was chaired by the Hokage and a random selection of chunin and jounin, rotating from time to time in order to get a wide variety of advice and expertise. Ultimately, though, it was the Hokage that made the decisions.

"I'm sick of these stupid missions!" Naruto complained. Iruka, who was one of the chunin on the panel today, slammed his hands down on the desk, causing about as much commotion as his former student.

"You're a fresh genin! Anything more dangerous than this could kill you!"

The Hokage sighed and puffed his pipe, blowing out a lazy smoke ring that floated across the room. "Iruka, calm down – every genin team acts out like this at least once. It would seem I should explain what missions are for."

"Every day the village gets requests from people all over our world. They range from small things, like helping farmers or civilians, to assassinations. The missions are all divided up into letter grades that denote difficulty. A, B, C, and D Ranked missions are the classifications we use. D-Ranks are perfect for you guys since you're still apprentices."

Unfortunately for the old man, Naruto had tuned him out when the lecture started getting technical. "You could at least pay attention!"

"I don't care about any of that! I'm not the kid who played pranks anymore! Why can't I do anything important?"

Remarkably, to Sakura at least, the Hokage cracked a small smile. So did Iruka. The old man turned to the instructor. "Do you think another genin team would be out of place on _that_ mission? The client asked for as many famous ninja as we could provide. Kakashi is one of our more memorable jounin so I don't think he'll be too disappointed." He was considering something and grinned more when Iruka shrugged.

"Eh? What are you people whispering about?" Naruto demanded.

The Hokage rubbed his chin and pulled out a scroll, seemingly coming to some kind of decision. "Alright, I'll give you a C-Rank mission!"

Sakura was floored. Just a few whiney words from Naruto netted them a C-Rank mission? How was that possible? At least Kakashi looked just as shocked.

"So, what is it?" Naruto chirped. "Are we going to protect a princess? Raid a castle?"

Instead of answering him directly, the Hokage tossed the scroll to Kakashi. "There's a trade delegation from the newly-formed land of Rice," he explained, making Sakura's back go stiff. "Their Minister of Agriculture is visiting every country capital and hidden village on the mainland to sign trade agreements. I confirmed ours this morning, so they are moving on to the last stop: Suna. He's hiring ninja from each village to guard the caravan to show off Rice's wealth."

"A trade caravan?" Kakashi asked as his visible eye scanned the mission details. "I heard about it a while ago. I suppose I didn't realize it had gotten so close. How many teams are being assigned to it?"

"Four ANBU teams, three chunin teams, and, now, two genin teams are slated to travel from Konoha to the walls of Sunagakure. We originally were only going to send one genin team, but that team's leader isn't particularly well-known yet even if the families of her students are. I don't see there being any objection to putting you on the team as well."

Sakura wasn't listening to the mission specifics. Her mind was frantically trying to piece together what this move could mean to the overall plan. Had Danzo moved yet? Was this caravan here to launch a surprise attack? How many ninja could possible get close to the village with a cover like that?

"Sakura, don't worry about it." Kakashi patted the worried girl on the shoulder. He was misinterpreting the look on her face for being afraid. "Really, this should be a D-Rank mission for you guys. We jounin and chunin are the ones that will be expected to do any fighting."

"O-Of course, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura felt stupid for zoning out like that in the middle of a meeting. If it really was a coup, she couldn't be suspicious now. "I was just wondering if we'd get time to pack or if the mission had to start immediately."

The Hokage glanced over at the girl. "The mission begins today, but you can pick up your payment for your last mission and pack. The specifics are in the scroll." He waved his hand. "You have some time before it leaves. In fact, the other genin team should still be in the building; it might be best to link up with them."

"Then that's what we'll do." Kakashi grabbed Naruto by the scruff of his neck and dragged the poor boy off before he could complain or say anything else. "If that's all, Hokage-sama."

Sakura couldn't get out of the room quick enough. She had to get home and check her journal to see if anything was being planned, but it didn't look like she'd get the chance. Kakashi led them down to the treasury to gather their checks and find the genin team they'd be working with.

There were quite a few teams milling around the cashier booths, the long line of counters that guarded the financial records of the village, but only one that Sakura recognized. She didn't spend much time getting to know her classmates, but two of them were hard to miss.

"Um, how much should I get out?" Hyuuga Hinata was the most difficult to miss with her alabaster skin and blank eyes. More than that, though, she was noticeably cowering in front of the cashier register. It was enough to make Sakura cringe in sympathy.

Her teammate, a feral-looking boy with a small dog sitting on his head, wasn't helping. He was standing behind her in line tapping his foot and loudly sighing.

"Come on, Hinata! We've got to get to the gate already!" That only served to make the girl get even more flustered.

A tall, beautiful woman cut into the line and gave Kiba a look that silenced him. "It's alright, Hinata," Kurenai said, soothing the young girl. "We don't have to be there this early. You have plenty of time."

Kiba snorted and stomped off to another teller and Shino quietly took his place in line. The odd genin was one of Sakura's classmates, but she knew very little about him other than he was an Aburame. He wasn't as pushy as Kiba, though, Sakura noticed. Hinata quickly decided on an amount without being bothered and she scooted out of line to go stand by the door.

Sakura found the nearest teller and simply cashed her entire check. She had gotten into the habit of hiding her funds in places around town rather than keep it in the bank.

"Can I wait here?" Sakura asked as she leaned against the wall next to Hinata. When the girl shied away, Sakura wondered if she even remembered her from the Academy. "Haruno Sakura. We were in the same class at the Academy."

"I-I remember," Hinata squeaked. She looked over at Kurenai as if her team leader would save her from social interaction again, but the Jounin was talking to Kakashi. "We have to be at the gate soon."

"So do we. Your team pulled the escort mission to Suna, right? We're going too."

"'We?'" Hinata looked over for other people she recognized and blushed when her eyes fell on Sasuke and Naruto.

Sakura's eye twitched. "Don't get any ideas," she warned. "I've got dibs on Sasuke-kun."

"I wasn't, I mean, I'm not!" Hinata was prattling and blushing bright as a tomato. If she had wanted to be saved when Sakura first walked over, now Hinata looked ready to bolt by herself. "I understand," she finally murmured.

As long as Hinata understood. Sakura nodded and went back to slouching against the wall as she thought about what she'd need for the mission. Realization hit that she'd have to buy a completely new wardrobe for the desert climate.

"Hey, Hinata. Tell Kakashi-sensei that I'll meet them at the gate. I have to go pick up my clothes and stuff." If she gave Hinata enough time, the girl would probably manage to protest. "Thanks!" Sakura called back as she jogged out into the main lobby.

Since it was so early Sakura had no trouble getting deep into the market district before the afternoon crowds. The shops were open and many managers were putting things in their windows to display for the late-day rush.

Konoha, being temperate in climate, did not make for a diverse wardrobe. Sakura knew that the Great Suna Desert could get over one hundred forty degrees at midday from her geography lessons, so something cooler than her usual dress would be needed. She normally had her clothing specially-made, as most ninja did, but today she would have to buy stock and hope for the best.

Sakura chose one of the larger outfitters to do her shopping at and headed inside. There were racks upon racks of clothing and gear, but nothing that really stood out as desert clothing. A few short-sleeve tops caught her attention – wouldn't those be good for a hot desert? – and she picked one up. A clerk was coming over to her so Sakura turned around.

"Can I help you, young lady?" It was an elderly lady that ran the shop. She was well into her seventies, but a Konoha brand stood out proudly on her shoulder.

"I'm looking for something to travel a long distance in the desert in."

The woman looked at the baggy pants and long-sleeve shirt Sakura currently had on and pursed her lips. "What you have on is better than that shirt." She took it from Sakura's hands and put it back on the rack. "You need clothing that covers your skin. It has to be loose and thin, though. Breathable."

She led the girl over to the cloak and robe section and picked out a thick-looking tunic. She held it open and Sakura slipped into it, surprised to find it was cotton. It was also very baggy in the arms and waist, but not too heavy. It came down to right above her calf.

"Walk around a bit and see if you can still feel the air when you move."

Surprisingly, Sakura could. Even with her clothes on underneath it, it breathed easily. "So, I just need this?" she asked.

"There's a dressing room down the way, so go change into just the tunic and your pants so we can find a robe that fits." She glanced down at Sakura's chest for a moment. "And sports bras are on aisle three. You might need one."

Thirty embarrassing and enlightening minutes later, Sakura stumbled out of the outfitter several hundred ryo lighter. She did have two large backs on her arms, though, and a new backpack. She still needed to get her bedroll and more changes of clothes from her house, though.

Her mother wasn't anywhere to be seen when Sakura stumbled through the door. She kicked the door closed and dragged her things upstairs. Tossing the bags onto the bed, she pulled off the backpack and started to pack. She put three shirts and pairs of pants, along with basic toiletries, into the large sack. Her side pouch filled with weapons and, after a moment of thought, her Iwa jutsu scroll. A trip to the desert would be the closest thing to being in Iwa, so maybe some training would pay off there.

The spy journal had no new updates. Sakura hadn't been expecting one per se, but there was always a chance that there would be something. Somehow knowing that this trip to Suna was a normal mission made Sakura uneasy; it was an unknown. Something she couldn't completely prepare for beforehand.

She quickly dispelled it and replaced the scroll back into its hiding place. Maybe it was a good thing she wasn't playing an agent for this mission? It seemed pretty important and Sakura was sure she'd need to concentrate on it so she didn't embarrass herself in front of an important client.

"Well, maybe not embarrass myself any more than I already will," she amended. Her new wardrobe was laid out on the bed and it was quite unique. "That old bat better not have been lying about how comfortable this will be or heads will roll." Sasuke was going to think she was an idiot…

* * *

The entire south gate had been taken over by a large caravan of wagons when Sakura finally arrived. Most of the people were too busy getting things ready to look in her direction, but the ones that did made up for the rest.

Sakura was wearing a full body robe and tunic, both white with small splashes of color, and her dark blue cargo pants below. Instead of her sandals, she was wearing black boots. Her face was partially covered with a garment the outfitter had called a "kyfiyya" which was a strange turban-like hat that both covered her entire head and draped down over her collar all the way around like a seal. Her backpack was on over all this.

The first reactions from her team were varied: Naruto just pointed, aghast, for a good minute. Sakura did what she normally did with Naruto and just ignored him. Sasuke's glance was far more subtle and it was more confused than scornful.

Kakashi had been speaking with Kurenai when Sakura had arrived and the woman was now moving her team into position. He took a long look at his student but didn't comment other than a slight 'hmm' at her outfit.

"Okay, here's the plan." The kids crowded around, though Naruto was still sneaking looks at Sakura's outlandish outfit. "The ANBU will be stationed with the merchant in the main carriage. He's name is Fred Luo. We'll be splitting our team up and mixing it with Team Eight so well so we can cover more of the caravan: Naruto, you're with Shino at the back, Sasuke will be with Kiba near the middle, and Sakura with Hinata at the front."

Naruto's lip twisted. "Shino? That quiet weird kid? Why do I have to go with him?"

"Because that's the teamwork in this mission – Team Eight is better than the three of you when it comes to scouting and sensory work. Since we were added at the very last minute, we're additional security for them." That only seemed to make Naruto even more annoyed, so Kakashi smiled and ruffled the kid's hair. "You have an important job! Watching the backs of everyone else puts a lot of trust in Shino and in you, who will have to help protect him. I'm trusting you, Naruto."

As expected, that bolstered the boy's mood and he happily saluted and ran off to where Team Eight had assembled. Shino was a good sport and only raised an eyebrow over the rim of his sunglasses when Naruto introduced himself. Sasuke, muttering about how annoying it would be dealing with Kiba, followed along after a moment.

Sakura paused. "Kakashi-sensei, why isn't Sasuke-kun at the front? Isn't that the most vulnerable place in a long caravan? Keeping him in the reserve is-"

"Because he won't fair as well in the desert as you will. Neither of those two bothered to dress for the heat so they'll be in absolute hell in a few hours." Kakashi sighed and looked over at where his two students were getting settled in on their respective wagons. Sasuke had on his heavy, high-color shirt while Naruto was still in his zipped-up jacket. "Kurenai didn't bother with making her students prepare either. Make sure you watch how hot Hinata is getting – she's important to this thing."

There was an edge to Kakashi's voice. It was like he was suddenly not too certain about the mission and was stressed. Sakura had never heard him like this before and she watched, dumbfounded, as he went over to the group of ANBU. They were all saluting and listening to her teacher like he was their commander or something.

"E-Excuse me, Sakura-san, but the driver wants everyone to get ready to leave."

Hinata had walked over when Sakura didn't make a move to go to her station. It looked like she had been waiting awhile and only just worked up the courage to say anything.

"Sorry about that. Come on." She would keep an eye on Kakashi to see if he became any more agitated - seeing the jounin edgy like that was sobering.

It turned out that Sakura and Hinata had relative privacy on their wagon. The first carriage was basically a rolling platform complete with rails and a large umbrella to keep the sun off whoever was sitting on top. Sakura sprang up on the wheels and scrambled over the railing first, but she held out her hand for Hinata. When they were both situated, Sakura looked back at the caravan to get an idea of how large it was.

At least twenty wagons, drawn by teams of horses, lined the street behind her. There were men loading cargo and people with the ninja of the village overlooking each piece. Sakura couldn't see Kakashi or Kurenai, but two of the ANBU were sitting in positions much like Sakura's own half-way between the first and middle wagons.

"Do you think we'll be alright?" Hinata asked in a near-whisper. "I've never been on a mission this big before."

The white-eyed girl was an enigma. She came from one of the most influential clans in the village yet she acted like a lost waif. By all rights the pale girl should be ordering around her team; she was the Hyuuga heiress, even!

Hinata took the silence as Sakura not wanting to answer. She mumbled an apology for speaking up and turned the other way.

"Sorry - I kinda zoned out for a second there. I'm listening." Sakura lightly grabbed the girl's shoulder but ripped her hand away when Hinata jumped. Wasn't she even used to be casually touched? "…um, I don't think the mission will be that bad except for the weather. There are a lot of other ninja going with us."

The girl's head bobbed in a nod and it seemed to reassure her a bit. Why, Sakura couldn't figure out. She wondered why Kakashi had put Hinata at the front of the wagon. The Hyuuga were an ancient clan in Konoha – and a feared one. As both the largest and oldest clan in the village they were afforded valuable positions in the village hierarchy. Sakura didn't understand village politics completely, but after the destruction of the Uchiha clan the Hyuuga were left with power and influence that the others could only dream of. It would have made much more sense for Hinata, the heir, to be kept nearest the jounin.

Sakura snuck a look over at Hinata as the driver climbed onto the wagon. She was so odd. Even back at the academy she hadn't ever spoken up or talked with the other girls and Sakura never knew her personally. Now, suddenly, she was supposed to watch out for her? Kakashi made it seem like she was going to be Hinata's bodyguard for this mission.

"Okay, we're about to head out," the driver called back. He was sitting a layer lower than the two girls on their raised platform. "I think the supplies are mostly packed away now."

The driver's intuition was proved correct as a light from the rear coach flashed as a signal for the convoy to start out. He clicked his tongue and cracked the reigns to get the horses moving.

It was different not walking on her own two feet. Sakura had never actually ridden in a carriage before, instead preferring to walk or run like any other Konoha ninja. Civilians traveled on horses, but they were too bulky, slow, and loud for serious military application. Didn't mean it wasn't nice riding around for once, though. Sakura kicked her feet back and leaned on the railing while the rest of the carriages rattled along behind.

After a quick look to make sure Hinata was still facing ahead, Sakura felt around in her pockets for a few moments and pulled two smooth rocks from her robe's sleeves. They were orbs of pure marble, one of the more difficult minerals to manipulate. Sakura focused some chakra into her arms and started rolling them around in her palm. Her chakra poked at holes in their structure and started to dig into the rock.

One of the marbles rolled around by itself in Sakura's palm. Her chakra was pulling it along and she could spin it or make it travel up and down her arm at will. The marble was still hard to manipulate, but it was becoming easier with practice. The real trick was manipulating both at the same time. So far she could only make the other marble mimic the one Sakura was truly concentrating on. That was more an issue of concentration, though, than chakra manipulation – like looking in two directions at once.

"D-Did your teacher show you how to do that?" Hinata wasn't facing Sakura, but she was the one that had spoken. When Sakura turned to look at Hinata she flinched, further confusing the young genin.

Sakura returned her marbles back to her sleeve with a flick of her wrists. "Self-taught; it's just a little game I created in my free time."

"It looked like you were able to channel through your body. Kurenai-sensei hasn't taught out team how to do that yet."

"Don't read into it, Hinata." The shortness in Sakura's voice silenced any further small talk between the two. The Hyuuga nodded quickly, but still didn't turn around.

How had Hinata seen her, though? Sakura narrowed her eyes at temporary partner as if to will the secrets out into the open. Again, the Hyuuga flinched. It was almost like…

"You have eyes in the back of your head."

Hinata's back went ridged. "W-W-What?"

She squeaked in protest when Sakura grabbed her head and twisted. Even though Hinata shut her eyes, the tell-tale veins snaking out from them gave the game away.

"That's a dojutsu! That's why you're sitting up front!" Sakura felt mighty proud of herself for figuring it out.

Hinata had the exact opposite reaction. She didn't even try and get Sakura to let her go and instead shrunk back like a trampled flower as her head was moved around like a plaything. "Please, Sakura-san! My h-head!" Finally, the girl had opened her eyes.

They were striking. Pale and white, but small veins had formed a false iris of red around the center. That was not the main beauty of them, though. Hinata's eyes were the kind of thing that a powerful clan could be built around and jealously guarded.

Sakura let her hand fall from Hinata's head. "Sorry," she said. "Your clan has a dojutsu? How did I miss hearing about that?"

"It's called the Byakugan. Everyone in my family has it." Hinata was kind enough to not directly look at Sakura, but that uneasy feeling that she was being watched just wouldn't go away. "It lets me see-"

"-in three hundred sixty degrees, right? Even though your own body."

Hinata was shocked and her face showed it clearly. "You knew?"

"No, but that's the only way you could have seen me with the marbles. Plus, Kakashi said that you were vital to the mission." Sakura smiled and Hinata looked up at her, confused. "Why else would he say that and put you on the first wagon? I have to watch out for you, Hinata, but you have to watch out for all of us. It's good teamwork."

Hinata's blush was as hot as the morning sun. "That's not, I mean, I'm not."

That was about all Sakura expected to get out of Hinata for the time being, so she went back to lounging. The Konoha sun was not harsh and the bit that got around the umbrella shade felt good against her skin. Suna's sun would not be as kind, but Sakura would enjoy this friendly Konoha sun while it lasted.

* * *

Two countries west, on Suna's border, another group was beginning to move. This one was traveling far lighter and in a very different group.

It was a war party, the first one seen since the Third Ninja War. Fifty strong and motivated shinobi, all with one thing on their mind: murder.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: What's with this chapter? No more training, canon rehash storylines, and actual action and character development? Who am I and what have I done with the author?

Also, for this arc (and maybe beyond) we'll be adding a new main character! Don't be alarmed at the change, my babies, embrace it.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did I could afford a new computer.

* * *

The desert was unforgiving.

That was something that any person traveling to Suna had to drill into their head every second of every day because making mistakes while crossing the Great Desert would cost you your life. The biggest threat never came from wild animals or bandits, but from your own incompetence. Even something so small as not packing enough water for the five-day journey across the dunes would mean certain death on the sands. Sakura understood that and had prepared. Her clothing, which she had thought silly, was now her single-greatest boon.

The trade delegation had crossed into the desert three hours ago. It had taken the better part of the morning and afternoon to reach the boarder and they had still driven on into the sand. There was supposed to be an old boarder fort or something nearby to rest at for the night and word had come down the line for Hinata to keep an eye out.

Sakura and Hinata had fallen into something of a routine the last few hours: Sakura would let the Hyuuga work and pass her water, food, or sub as lookout for a few minutes while Hinata rested. It wasn't a hard job by any means since the other girl was quiet and easy to please.

"Hey, Hinata," Sakura called out, "Are you getting hot?"

"…N-No."

That pause was enough of an answer to Sakura. Hinata was still in her thick jacket. In fact, what little jade skin Sakura could see between the girl's hair and collar was starting to get red.

Sakura crawled over to the Hyuuga and tugged on her jacket. "Come on, no one is still wearing theirs. Not even that idiot, Naruto, still has his jacket on." Hinata tensed and didn't answer. "We're the only ones on this wagon so no one is going to see you."

It was obvious that Hinata had a bad case of social anxiety. Sakura had learned about a few mental issues that could pop up during missions back at the Academy and this was a textbook case. The girl recoiled from any kind of unexpected touch and was very quiet as a whole. She would be a good subordinate, but getting Hinata out of her comfort zone was next to impossible.

When Hinata didn't move to take off her coat, Sakura sighed and gave up trying to help the girl today. She had been making the same argument for hours now and if Hinata was fine with boiling in this sun then so be it.

The wagons rumbled along the worn desert road for another hour before the scenery changed any. The Great Western Desert was bleak with not even cactus or sagebrush growing in it to break the monotony of sand. Plant and animal life had ended near the edge. Unlike the stories they told back at Konoha, the caravan had yet to come across any type of oasis. The only thing that was even the slightest bit interesting was the beautiful sky – there was nothing overhead obstructing a stellar view.

Sakura grunted when the wagon lurched over a stone in the road. She looked over the rail and took note of the rocks that were now starting to appear out in the desert. It had been getting gradually rockier for the last few minutes and it was no surprise when Hinata called out that there was a structure ahead by the road. Sakura identified the rocks as limestone and guessed that this used to be an ancient quarry of some sort. It made sense, at least: the guard tower that could now be seen on the horizon was certainly once an impressive feat of engineering and it was in a prime location for a Wind Country garrison to be stationed. There was nothing but flat ground for miles.

"Are we going to be stopping here?" Sakura had crawled to the front of the wagon. The driver's wrapped head could just be seen over the rail where he sat leading the horses. "It looks pretty exposed."

He grunted. "That's not our problem. You ninja were paid for that sort of thing, after all. This is where you take over."

That was true. The entire caravan was technically the client on this mission and the ninja were expected to guard it. Kakashi had rejoined the front and was directing the caravan on how to arrange itself; it seemed that a semicircle of wagons around the tower was the order of the day and that settled Sakura's concerns a bit.

Hinata was helped off the top of the wagon by Sakura. She was breathing rather raggedly; no doubt a result of the girl refusing to take off her coat. Kiba and Shino, both sweating like dogs in the heat, were over in the shade of the tower with their teacher.

It was easily the largest watchtower Sakura had ever seen; three visible stories jutting out of the sand with many more probably underground or destroyed. The only way in or out were tiny arrowslits in the rock.

"Did you have any trouble, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he and the rest of Team Seven arrived at the tower. The ANBU and chunin were going about more specialized tasks, such as setting up traps, so it seemed to just be a meeting of the genin teams.

Sakura shook her head. She watched as Kurenai went about mothering Hinata like a hen, peppering the girl with questions about how hot and thirsty she was. Hinata was looking distressed by the attention and kept trying to shy away.

"I kept an eye on her, Kurenai-sensei," Sakura interrupted, annoyed. She didn't like her work being called into question like that right in front of her.

"That must be why she looks as if she's walked the entire way herself."

Bristling, the genin was about to argue back, but Kakashi tapped her on the head. "Now, now; I know it wasn't an easy job, Sakura. You did alright." He walked over to the two boys under his care and did about the same amount of checking as Kurenai did: asked them about their water, how hot they were getting, etcetera – things Sakura had taken into consideration before she had even left Konoha.

Sakura's tunic, robes, and headscarf blocked nearly all of the sun that could burn her skin. It was a bit hot under the collar, but no direct sunlight meant no roasting. Poor Naruto had stripped to just his pants and tee-shirt and was already starting to look like a lobster. Sasuke's arms and face looked much the same, but his uncovered legs also took a beating.

There was an extra tunic in her bag. Sakura knew she could offer it to Sasuke and he'd probably take it at this point even if it was too small. Something was stopping her, though, and it was her damnable common sense. Sasuke wasn't vital to the mission as a whole; none of Team Seven was, really, so giving one of them an advantage wouldn't look right. Naruto wouldn't be too happy at being the only uncomfortable one on the team so there was that to consider as well.

She looked over at Hinata. The girl had managed to divert Kurenai's attention to Kiba and Shino, but it was obvious she was still sweltering. Every few seconds her hands would fiddle with the zipper to her jacket before her eyes would sweep over the rest of group.

Sakura pulled her traveling bag out from the first wagon and sifted through it until she pulled out a thin tunic and robe – her spare set.

"Hinata, here." She held out the clothing to the girl. "It's better than what you have and it doesn't show too much." Sakura gestured to her own clothes as an example.

"I-I couldn't."

The genin simply pushed them into Hinata's hands and called for Kurenai. After explaining that she had an extra set of desert clothing that fit Hinata, there was no more argument for the Hyuuga to make – Kurenai ordered her to go and put them on right away.

Sakura looked around for the rest of her team while she waited for Hinata to get back. Kakashi had been called over by the assistant to Minister, an armored, stern-looking man with a long sword strapped to his belt named Hisagi. He was responsible for the daily workings of the caravan, or so Sakura assumed: she hadn't seen Rice's Agriculture Minister yet. Hisagi had been marching up and down the line of wagons for the last ten minutes all the while shouting at people and berating slow compliance to his orders. He was even raising his voice to Kakashi as they talked.

"It's so hot! Why didn't anyone tell us it was going to be this hot?" Naruto's complaining drew Sakura's attention back to the group of genin huddled in the shade of the watchtower.

Sasuke grunted, as he was oft to do. "It's the desert, idiot. Did you think it would be cold?" A little ways over, Kiba snickered.

Naruto's face scrunched up and he threw his finger out at the bane of his existence. "Shut up! You two didn't pack cooler clothes either! Even Hinata had to borrow some from Sakura-chan!" That shut them both up, but it also drew the conversation over to Sakura. "How did you know to go and get those kinds of clothes, though?"

"I knew that the mission was going to Suna so I went by an outfitter and let them pick out my clothes." Sakura only got blank looks – didn't any of these people plan things out ahead of time? "Do any of you even thi-"

Kakashi's gloved hand stopped Sakura's sniping short as he rested it on her shoulder. "I know you've all had a rough day, but Hisagi-san needs help unloading the caravan for tonight. The ANBU and chunin are all doing other things, so I volunteered you guys." There were groans all around and the jounin really did look apologetic for having to order them back to work. "All the boys go and help unload crates."

Sakura wondered why it was just the boys. In fact, it bothered her a bit that Kakashi was so quick to dismiss her help. It reminded Sakura of all the times her teacher had said something about women or glossed over her during training.

"I can carry a few boxes, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi didn't seem at all bothered by Sakura's tone. "I know, but there's something else you can do better. We need ten or so fire pits for the camp and I recommended you to help. Make them deep enough that we can mitigate how much light gets out, but sturdy enough that they won't get buried if the sand shifts. If these caravan workers don't get dinner we could have a riot." It was hard to tell if Kakashi was lying or not, but Sakura was getting hungry enough herself that she didn't question it.

The camp, if it could be called such already, was to be at the foot of the watchtower. Already the wagons were starting to loop around the structure, giving it a look of a fenced courtyard. Boxes, tents, horses, and people were all around in various states of readiness. Most everyone was working on unloading things from the wagons and there were already tents going up. It had been a long day, after all, and people were probably ready to retire for the night.

A team of men were already starting to grab shovels when Sakura found them. She dismissed them, much to their confusion; more so when she didn't pick up a shovel. Instead of that she simply kicked off her shoes and let her feet sink into the sand.

Rabbit, Ram, Snake, and Ox seals; Sakura could already feel the chakra flooding her legs and running into the ground. "Earth Release: Collapsing Pit!"

The sand rumbled and split, cascading down into the earth in a waterfall of glittering glass. The jutsu sifted the ground deep beneath Sakura's feet, freeing up space for pits for people to fall into. While it wasn't a very useful attacking move against ninja, it was the most convenient way to create pit traps and it didn't take much chakra. And, in this case, the simplest way to make fire pits. Once the pit was totally dug out to a depth of around three feet, the genin hardened the sand in the bottom and on the walls so that it wouldn't cave back in.

"Where do you want the next one?" she asked, grinning at the diggers stunned faces. "Just point and I'll take care of it!"

With a personal backhoe like Sakura, the deed was one in fewer than twenty minutes. There were enough fire pits for everyone to eat at and they wouldn't easily be seen from the desert so long as their fuel wasn't staked too high in the bottom.

Hisagi, the caravan manager under the Agriculture Minister, was nearby and had been watching Sakura go about with her work. He walked over to the girl and held out his own hipflask for her. "That was good work. I didn't know you ninja could do things like that. You saved my men a lot of trouble."

Sakura took a modest drink and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "It wasn't that big of a deal. Sand is pretty easy to move compared to all the rocks and packed dirt back in Konoha."

Although the overseer didn't really understand what Sakura was referring to, he nodded politely. "Well, we can use someone with your talents in a lot of places out here. In fact, we're having trouble with the tower right now." Hisagi pointed to the base of the tower where several men were piling up rope - it looked like they were going to try and scale it. "We can't get in because the main door is underground and your white-eyed partner said it was destroyed on the inside. We need a lookout up there, but the old frame that used to sit on the top is gone so we'd have to build a new one or climb up the outside. Can you just," Hisagi made a face and scratched the back of his neck, "_ninja_ it up there or something? Do whatever it is you people do? It would save us a few hours."

There was, of course, plenty that Sakura could do. She could simply walk up the side of the building with the rope and tie it to the top. That would give away that she knew how to chakra-walk, though.

"Can't you ask one of the older ninja? I'm only a trainee."

"The ones in the robes and masks went out into the desert and the ones in the vests are guarding the Minister. Your teacher said he could get to it in a few hours after everything was unloaded, but we'd be without a lookout for that long."

Sakura could tell that it was difficult for Hisagi to ask this in the first place. She wanted to simply tell him that the ninja were watching everything and that the regular caravan guards weren't really needed, but that would probably cause its own problems. Things were already somewhat tense between the two groups and Sakura didn't want to make it any worse.

She sighed, agreeing to give it a try. The men at the tower gave her one of the rope ends and Sakura tied it around her waist. She would climb the tower, but in such a way that she could pass it off as just a regular feat of physical prowess rather than anything chakra-related.

"Be careful, Sakura-san," Hinata demurely murmured. She was standing by one of the arrowslits at the base of the tower. Hisagi had said earlier that she checked out the inside, so he must have caught Hinata after she got finished changing. The light robes were tailored for Sakura, so they were tight around the chest, much to the smaller girl's annoyance; Hinata looked much more feminine than she did.

"Don't worry about it." Sakura let out a breath and smiled at the girl. It wasn't Hinata's fault that Sakura looked like a boy. "It's only a few dozen feet up, right?" The Hyuuga nodded, making the ill-wrapped kyfiyya wobble dangerously atop her head. Sakura bent down and retied it the correct way. Now the only thing that could be seen on Hinata's face where her eyes. "There. Keep your hair behind the back so it doesn't make a gap for sand to get in."

Hinata sputtered a bit and mumbled a quiet "thank you" as Sakura passed her. Her eyes were mostly staring at the ground, but once Sakura started on the tower she turned to watch like everyone else.

It was easy to make climbing the tower look more difficult than it actually was. Sakura made a great show of looking for cracks and footholds to navigate her way upwards. It was difficult to slow down her assent so much and more than once Sakura made a gain straight upwards using chakra to cut the time it would take to fake it. No one seemed to notice so she didn't fixate too much on the slips. After ten minutes of climbing the girl decided no more theatrics were needed, and noted that no one on the ground could probably see her that well anyway, so she scrambled the last few feet in a decidedly less-realistic way. With one hand over the top rim of the tower, she triumphantly hauled herself over the edge.

She was shocked, though, to find that someone else had conquered the tower first. There, lounging about on the other side of the cap was Kakashi. The Jounin was laying down with his back on the floor and his head against resting on the battlements. He waved with his free hand; the other was occupied holding up his Icha Icha Paradise book.

"I was wondering when someone would finally find me," he lamented. Kakashi flipped the book closed and shifted his eye over to Sakura. "You sure were taking your time getting up here, though."

Sakura's face twisted into exaggerated disgust. "You were going to make us do all of the work, weren't you? You could have at least taken the rope up here for them if you were going to slack off." She untied the knot around her waist and started to loop it around one of the battlement's merlons. After tying it tight, she gave the rope a few tugs to let them know it was secure.

"I could have, but I needed to concentrate on being a lookout until they were ready to relieve me. Even that little bit of time I'd be busy tying the rope could have meant life or death!"

"Really? See anything?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Nope!" Despite his laziness, the jounin did get to his feet with a fair amount of fanfare: stretching and rolling his shoulders until they popped. "You impressed me, Sakura. I didn't think you would figure out how to use chakra to climb a wall like that until I showed you. I suppose you three were ready for a new exorcise after all."

Her flinch made it seem worse than it was. Sakura fought back a wave of nausea as Kakashi correctly guessed that she had learned how to apply chakra to different parts of her body. A thousand different scenarios ripped through her mind, but none of them seemed logical enough to trick the jounin.

To her amazement, Kakashi didn't press the subject. He just slipped his book back into his vest pocket and leaned up against a merlon. "Kurenai wanted me to thank you for loaning Hinata your clothes; she didn't get a chance to say so herself earlier."

Sakura forced herself to calm down and act nonchalant as well. She looked over the side of the tower and saw that no one was coming up the rope yet, so she hopped up onto the battlements to sit.

"She looked mad when we got off the wagon. It wasn't my fault that Hinata wouldn't take off her coat – I tried a couple of times to get her out of it but she was too shy."

"Is that a fact?" His eyebrow disappeared under his silver bangs for a moment. "Well, Kurenai said she was having trouble getting the other two on her team to work with Hinata on some things, so she's pretty particular when it comes to her. You looked out for her on the trip here and she seems to be opening up. In fact, I'm wondering if you could keep it up? We're going to be keeping the same groupings the whole trip, so if you could work with her a bit it would help."

"Isn't that a job for teachers?" Sakura realized how snappish that sounded and amended, "I wouldn't know what to do, I mean. We don't know each other that well."

Kakashi shrugged. "Kurenai said that Hinata doesn't know _anyone_ in her age group that well either. Just keep an eye on her like before and it'll be fine." He looked over at the desert and the lines of his face showed that there were the beginnings of a frown forming under that mask. "I'll see you guys tonight. Looks like the ANBU found me."

Sakura stepped in front of her teacher to try and see what it was he had noticed, but all she saw was sand. "ANBU? Hisagi-san said they all went out into the desert hours ago." She turned to Kakashi when he didn't answer, but found the man was already gone.

A few minutes later, a head popped up over the side of the tower and Sakura excused herself so that the sentries could work in peace. It was crowded even with two people up there and Sakura wanted to find Hinata.

Kakashi's request to take care of the girl wasn't unreasonable. Sakura had seen first-hand how much trouble she was having with the mission so far and how useful her dojutsu was; keeping Hinata happy and healthy was in the mission's best interest. She understood that the jounin probably had too much work to see to things like that themselves and it _was_ nice being trusted so much. It made her feel important.

Hinata was still waiting for Sakura at the bottom of the tower. She seemed lost in all the ordered chaos around her.

After getting several personal professions of gratitude from the scouts for giving them a rope to climb, Sakura made her way over to the girl she had been ordered to look after. It wasn't such a horrible mission – the girl really wasn't bad company and she wasn't as frustrating as Team Seven was. Being around someone who wasn't constantly loud or stoic would probably be a welcome break.

"Come on, Hinata. We can go get some lunch now."

The girl quickly fell in step with Sakura and they left for the fire pits. Thankfully, the caravanners had just started cooking lunch and there wasn't much of a line. While every group had their own fire, the food was distributed by the quartermaster and his assistants. They had large crates of salted meats and bread out and were passing it out to the people that came by. The large, burly man gave the two girls larger portions after thanking them for their help with the tower. It was a little embarrassing and she was about to turn it down, but Sakura's stomach reminded her of how much chakra she had used up that morning. She took the extra slab of beef with a sheepish smile and thanked him for them both since Hinata was too embarrassed to do more than mumble.

The two picked a smaller pit close to the wagons since it was just them eating. The kindling, matches, and spit had already been provided and Sakura struck a match to light the fire while Hinata put their lunch on the spit. Sakura was a little surprised that the girl knew how to dress meat like that, but she wasn't going to question it before the meal was ready least Hinata get embarrassed and refuse to cook.

A bit of commotion from the other side of the camp made Hinata look up and Sakura followed her gaze. A man in fine silks, flanked by two large ninja that Sakura didn't recognize, strolled in. The regular caravanners nodded their heads in respect and those in the quartermaster line moved out of the way and allowed the three to cut. The man was tall and lithe with a very angular face. His hair was done up in a topknot, but his bangs were allowed to frame his face. There was something odd about him, but Sakura couldn't put her finger on it; he was smiling, but it looked out of place.

"Do you think that's the Rice Agriculture Minister?" Sakura asked, glancing over at her companion.

Hinata looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's high quality silk he's wearing. Only a noble could afford it." Given that the girl was the Hyuuga heiress, Sakura was inclined to believe her. Sometimes it was hard to remember that the small, soft-spoken girl was the leader-in-training of the most powerful clan in Konoha.

So, if that was the Minister of Agriculture the ninja with him had to be from Otogakure. They were wearing gray robes with masks that covered everything but their eyes and no other distinguishing features. One thing that Sakura did notice is that they were alert. Their eyes were constantly scanning the caravanners, the wagons, and the sand as if they were expecting an attack at any moment. Understandable, Sakura thought, since the security of the caravan was officially delegated to Konoha-nin. No ninja could be comfortable being surrounded by ninja from other villages even if they were officially around to help. It made sense that they were especially wary about Konoha-nin, though, considering who their leader was. Had Orochimaru schooled them about Konoha mission tactics? It had been over ten years since he left so his information was probably a bit out of date, thus their wariness.

Sakura averted her eyes when one of the Oto-nin looked her way. She very much doubted that anyone had informed them about someone as insignificant as her, but it would be dangerous to show too much attention. After all, she had given away one too many secrets already today. Instead, the girl watched another group of people approach from the wagons.

"Yahooooo! Hinata!" Kiba and Shino, along with the rest of Team Seven, shuffled over to Sakura and Hinata's fire pit. The boys had stripped down to their undershirts and Hinata averted her eyes. "You guys are already eating?"

"Unlike you guys we didn't slack off any."

Kiba scoffed. "You two probably just did your hair and sat in the shade. We unloaded five wagons in the sun!"

"I believe they had her dig the fire pits," Shino, surprisingly, responded. His face was more dower than usual, probably resulting from being around both Naruto and Kiba for an extended period of time.

It turned out that the boys hadn't had to do very much to begin with. Most of the goods weren't going to be unloaded since it was a trade caravan and a few wagons were strictly off-limits to anyone, such as the Minister's coach, so all they really had to do was get out the cooking supplies. Kakashi had appeared a few minutes prior to tell them to take a break for lunch. Shino had gone to get their food and Naruto insisted on everyone eating together, forcing Sakura to create yet another fire pit nearby.

"You sure are great to have out here, Sakura-san!" Naruto manage to say while in the midst of a life-and-death struggle with Kiba over the largest piece of meat. "You never could do that back in Konoha!"

"The sand is easier to work with out here than back home. It took some practice, though," Sakura explained. She had deliberately never talked about her abilities very much, only showing them to her teammates after Kakashi mentioned them himself during a mission. Still, being able to brag a bit _was_ nice.

Sasuke scowled at the awed look Naruto had on his face. "Any chunin or jounin can do things like that; they only asked Sakura because she was convenient, idiot."

Even though that was technically true, Sakura's face still fell. Sasuke had been more biting with his criticism for weeks now, both with Naruto and Sakura. He reined it in around Kakashi, but when their teacher wasn't around he'd take any opportunity to cut them both down.

"T-That's n-not true, Sasuke-san." Eyes turned to Hinata; the girl was poking at her lunch with her chopsticks and didn't look up, but she did continue. "It takes affinity to manipulate chakra like that; my f-father said that a genin can't learn chakra manipulation."

"It's just a jutsu, though. We can all do jutsu." Kiba, who had finally succeeded over Naruto in his fight for the best lunch, waded into the conversation in a typical ham-fisted way. "As long as you know the seals anyone can do it."

Sakura crossed her arms. "And where would you channel the chakra?" She was grateful, and surprised, that Hinata had taken up for her so she felt a need to prove the girl correct. "You can't just make a seal and expect a jutsu to work – otherwise, _anyone_ could do _any_ jutsu so long as they have the chakra for it and knew the seals." To emphasize her point, she slipped out of her shoes and pushed her feet into the sand. After closing her eyes for concentration, a long tendril of sand snaked upwards into the air. "See? I didn't use any seals for that. You have to train your chakra to do certain types of jutsu just like you have to train your body to do certain taijutsu moves."

That proved to be quite popular with the group, sans Sasuke. The raven-haired boy grunted and announced he was going back to finish unloading the wagons. Reluctantly, the others followed along after polishing off their meals. Naruto reiterated how cool Sakura's jutsu was, much to her embarrassment, before going back to work himself.

The two girls were left in peace then. Sakura pulled her shoes back on and covered the spare fire pit with sand. "Thanks for that, Hinata." She realized how hard it had to be for the girl to speak up like that.

It looked like the girl was going to say something in return, but she leaned over instead to look behind Sakura. To Sakura's surprise, she scrambled to her feet and bowed.

"Minister!" Sakura's eyes went wide and she jumped up as well. The Oto Agriculture Minister and his guards were standing a few feet behind the genin.

The man made a motion for them to retake their seats. "Please, don't let me interrupt your meal. I just need to retrieve some things from my carriage." One of the guards moved past the girls and into the wagon their pit was in front of while the other stayed in his position. "I did not mean to eavesdrop, but that was quite an explanation you gave a moment ago. Konoha has high quality shinobi: it was quite interesting."

"Thank you, Minister-sama." Sakura didn't know how else to respond to a compliment like that. Normally she could develop a good repartee with her clients, but this was so different than normal. "I-I apologize for blocking your carriage."

"Think nothing of it. It was my own fault for not gathering everything I needed when we first stopped." His guard appeared then with a few small scrolls which he passed over to the Minister before retaking his place behind the official. The man slipped them into his sleeve before either girl could get a look. He smiled at the girls when he caught them trying to take a peek. "I also must thank you for all the work you two have done around the camp. Hisagi spoke highly of you."

Sakura blushed scarlet at the praise. Both girls bowed again as the Minister made his exit. He was headed toward the other side of the camp behind the tower. From what Sakura had seen that area was where most of the ANBU had camped. Both the Overseer's wagon and the repair wagon were over there, thus it was the second-most important place in the camp. Without the mechanic and his supplies the wagons would break down in a matter of hours and they'd be stuck in the desert. Already there were three wagons lying on their side over there awaiting new wheels or axel parts as well as the staff to accommodate the repairs.

"He seems nice," Hinata murmured, sitting back down to her food. She had the hint of a smile on her lips. "I-I didn't do very much to help and he still thanked me."

"You did your part all day, Hinata; don't understate how important you were in getting us here safely." Sakura had a smile of her own when the other girl sputtered and looked resolutely at the ground; it was fun to tease Hinata. She reminded Sakura of herself before Ino.

The two fell into a comfortable silence after that and polished off the rest of their meals. They spoke briefly about sleeping arrangements and Sakura suggested trying to find a good place before the boys took all the spots.

As it turned out, space was something of a premium. It was true that an area for the ninja had been set aside, but there were fewer tents available since Team Seven had been added after the fact. Since they were delegated to the side of the tower away from the main caravan, they had to share space with the repair yard.

"I'm sorry, but could some of you sleep in the front?" the chief mechanic asked. "We need the space to replace an axle on this carriage, but your ANBU won't let us go farther out into the desert than we already are. They said it was a 'security risk.'"

Kurenai, the only jounin left in the camp, was already busy trying to get the boys under control. The constant bickering between Kiba and Naruto had nearly devolved into fisticuffs so she had to separate them. Naruto would share a tent with Shino while Kiba would bunk with Sasuke to keep all the different personalities in check.

"Sorry, but could you two sleep in the front?" Kurenai asked of Sakura and Hinata. "I have to keep these four from killing each other tonight until Kakashi gets back."

So, the two found themselves heading back to the main area of the camp. People had begun setting up their own places for the night and there was quite the crowd.

Hinata looked at what little space was left for sleeping. The "courtyard" created by looping the wagons around the tower had been large, but the sheer number of people now crowding into that space made it hard to find somewhere to spread out a sleeping bag.

"Sakura," she whispered, "do you see any free spots?"

"Don't worry, I've got this." Sakura led the girl over to one of the wagons, tip-toeing over people as she went. The edge didn't have a lot of people, but with the wagons right there, there was a chance that you'd get stepped on in the morning.

A few handseals later, though, that was fixed; Sakura created a large pit under one of them and the two crawled under the wagon. It was deep enough that they were able to sit up without their heads hitting the wagon bottom and wide enough that they both had plenty of space.

"This way we can even stay cool from the sun," Sakura explained as she smoothed out her sleeping bag. She took the side closest to the desert and helped Hinata get under and situated. It took a bit of demonstration to convince Hinata that the walls of packed, chakra-infused sand wouldn't collapse on them while they slept, but eventually the girl was in her sleeping bag right beside Sakura.

There was still a moderate level of sound coming from the chattering in the camp and it was difficult for Sakura to get to sleep. She laced her arms behind her head and looked out at the sky visible from under the carriage and reflected on her day. It had been quite the journey getting this far into Wind Country and they were only a few miles from the boarder. Tomorrow they would reach the halfway point, or so the head driver had told Sakura, and from there it would be two days before reaching Sunagakure. They probably wouldn't be let into the city, though.

"Hey, Hinata, what do you think Suna looks like?" Sakura imagined that it could very well be underground and covered in sand. That would certainly be something to see.

"I don't know. M-Maybe...sand?"

"_Duh_, Hinata! I mean, what do you think the buildings are like or the people?" Sakura tittered a bit when the other girl owlishly gawked at her. "Come on, you can do better than that."

Hinata blushed scarlet and pulled the lip of her sleeping back up to cover most of her face. The look she was giving Sakura was the closest the pink-haired girl had ever seen to Hinata getting angry and it made her stop laughing.

"Y-You're making fun of me," Hinata muttered.

Sakura propped her elbow up on the sand beside Hinata so she could look over the girl more easily. "I'm not, but that wasn't the best you could do." She frowned. "Why are you always so defensive? There's no one else around. It's just us. You don't have to watch what you say around me."

"We...don't know each other that well, Sakura-san." The girl glanced over at her companion with something akin to suspicion.

Had Hinata always this paranoid? Sakura tried to remember. At the Academy she had always been quiet and never spent much time talking to anyone. Kakashi had said she didn't know anyone in her age group very well either, so maybe she had been bullied?

Well, it had been awhile but Sakura still knew how to get along with people her own age. She nudged Hinata and scooted her sleeping bag closer to the girl. "Then we'll have to get to know each other. We'll pretend this is a sleepover! I haven't had one in years." That was mostly due to the changes Kabuto had brought into her life. For once, it felt nice to be able to do something like this without an ulterior motive. "We'll be friends after this mission, Hinata."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course! We're on similar teams after all, so having someone else to talk to about it would be good for us."

It was strange talking to someone as an honest equal after fooling her teammates, teachers, and even family for so long. Sakura still had to lie a bit about her Academy days, but Hinata was mostly a listener as Sakura told her about the missions her team had been on so far. She found out that Kurenai was taking a slow approach as well and had actually protested for her team being put on this mission; their experience as a tracking team was what made them indispensible.

Hinata's family was very different than what Sakura had expected. After some gentle prodding, the Hyuuga heiress told her about her life growing up and what Sakura heard shocked her.

"You really haven't ever had a sleepover, birthday party or anything?" Until their falling out, Ino had been a fixture at the Haruno home and vice-versa.

Hinata shook her head. "Father didn't want anyone not of the clan in the compound." Her eyes weren't hard or bitter, but rather soft and accepting in a beaten-down kind of way. "And the Byakugan couldn't be risked outside-"

"-because he thought his own village would try and steal it. I can't believe he'd be that paranoid." Granted, the Byakugan seemed to be immensely powerful, but surely it was at least safe in the village?

"That's not it," Hinata responded. "It's because of me." Her eyes fell and gained a far away look, but she didn't explain.

It was probably a very sore subject, Sakura realized. She needed to save this conversation ASAP!

"S-So, what kind of boy do you like?" There. That subject was about as far from village secrets as possible and the abrupt change of topic was probably called for at this point. "Do you like the cool types or the tough types?"

It was fun watching Hinata turn beet red, Sakura discovered. The girl ducked her entire head inside her sleeping bag and pinched the opening closed behind her. "I-I-I don't think about it!"

"Hehe, then why are you blushing so much? I bet you like the quiet ones! Like Shino or Sasuke-kun!" Sakura poked the girl-shaped lump in the sleeping bag and grinned when it squeaked every so often. Oh god, this was getting addictive! "No, no. Maybe not the quiet ones then: I bet you like a loud guy. Maaaaaaaaybe Kiba? Am I getting close?"

Hinata's head popped out just long enough for the girl to stick out her tongue at her tormenter. "N-Not Kiba-kun!" she yelled through the blanket once she had retreated.

Well, that was the first time Hinata had reacted. Sakura's smile turned predatory and she tapped her chin. "So, felt the need to rule out Kiba especially, huh? He must remind you of someone. You know, when you were back at the bank you were looking pretty hard at my team. Could you possible like that Naru-"

"N-No!" Hinata surprised Sakura by thrashing out of her sleeping bag and tackling her. She was even redder and her hand flew over the pink-haired girl's mouth. There was a tug-of-war of emotions playing over her face as well that made Sakura grin into the girl's hand.

Who knew that quiet, reserved Hinata would go for someone like Naruto? If Hinata thought her father was strict now, just wait until that gets out in the open! Still, going to the point of manhandling someone!

Sakura snaked her arm out of her own sleeping bag and caught her "assailant's" arm. Her fingers expertly sought out strategic parts to attack and soon Hinata was a giggling mess of embarrassment as Sakura tickled her into submission.

"Hinata, Hinata, Hinata: you disappoint me." Sakura was now out of the confines of her bedding and she pressed her attack further. There was no retreat for the poor Hyuuga as she curled up against the side of the hole in a vain attempt to protect her legs, arms, and stomach from Sakura's assault. "This is a valuable sleepover lesson!" Sakura boasted as Hinata actually started to tear up due to laughing so hard. "Never let them know you're ticklish! If they find out you're as good as doomed."

"Sakura, Hinata! Get out here!"

It was as if someone had flooded the hole with ice water. Sakura's fingers stopped their torture and a shot of adrenalin coursed through her system; that was a voice Kakashi used when he was giving orders, not suggestions. Hinata felt it too, obviously, and her laughter stopped after only a few moments.

"Come on!" Sakura said as she helped Hinata out from under the carriage.

The camp was starting to prepare for battle. Fires were being fed with extra fuel to push against the darkness around them and men were rushing for weapons. Most of them had sabers and clubs, but a few had bows. Those few had already formed firing lines and arrows bristled from the sand in front of them, ready to be plucked and fired.

It looked as if they were all preparing for war.

ANBU were gathered in cells at either corner of the camp. Kakashi, along with the other genin and Kurenai, was in the middle of the camp. Sakura and Hinata joined them and the former quickly noticed that her teacher was worried.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"The detectors that the ANBU setup in the desert were tripped a few minutes ago." He was dressed in a simple black shirt and pants and had probably just been woken up. Kurenai and the other genin were in much the same state; most were probably half-asleep when they had been woken up.

"What the hell? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Kiba growled. His hair was mussed and his eyes still rather droopy. "Aren't the ANBU supposed to be watching things?"

Thunder from the desert silenced the boy's complaining. Horses, probably numbering in the dozens, were roaring across the open expanse of sand. Sakura could see the lights of small lanterns from the gaps in the wagons.

Kakashi rolled his neck and pushed his fist into the weapon holster on his thigh, pulling out a fist-full of kunai. "Bandits. They must have been waiting for us to camp for the night." He voice was level, if not a bit strained. "I don't know how they got so close, though. Get ready to repel them; the ANBU will be guarding the Minister."

The jounin barely finished his order when the first horseman crashed through the frontline defenders. He was dressed in dirty robes and was brandishing a long, thin saber. The bandit slashed at one of the caravanners and put the man on his back, but a kunai embedding itself into his head prevented him from taking the caravanner's life.

"A scout, huh? You six go help around the camp." Kakashi's hand drooped from the outstretched position it had been in and he replaced the kunai he had just expended. "There are a lot of them, but I'll see what I can do about the leader." His eyes flicked over to Kurenai and some unspoken communication went between the two. Konoha had its own system of signals and tells for battle, but Sakura only knew a handful; her knowledge certainly didn't include eye movements and facial tics.

The kunoichi took Kakashi's place as the man suddenly disappeared. "We'll work with Hisagi-san in the main area. If you see a hole in the defenses, like the one that bandit broke through, plug it."

Plug it, she says. The meaning of that apparently didn't register to Sakura's teammates, but it did to her. Kurenai was telling them to stop any attacks on the caravanners by any means necessary. This was their first combat mission and Kakashi had killed someone right in front of them; Sakura felt bile rush up her throat, but she refused to embarrass herself. She had been in a life-or-death situation before and so had Naruto and Sasuke individually – now was just a team action.

Team Seven took up a position atop two of the carriages that formed the edge of the camp. Naruto had wanted to run off into the dark night by himself to "pound the bastards good", but Sakura had managed to beat enough sense into him so that he'd stay put for the time being. Sakura looked out into that darkness and tried to guess how many horses were out there. It was more than a few dozen that was for sure.

Sakura checked her equipment: a handful of kunai, shuriken, and blank scrolls along with half a dozen flash grenades and exploding tags. She knew Naruto didn't carry as many supplementary items as she did, but he had more weaponry; Sasuke had never felt the need to share his equipment load with the rest of the team.

"We have to defend with explosive notes from up here," Sakura told her teammates. For once she didn't have an argument; Kakashi's initial estimate of a "dozens" of bandits proved to be wishful thinking as the true mass of the hoard was revealed in the dim moonlight. There were, by Sakura's estimate, at least two hundred mounted bandits swarming the desert. Fighting them with explosives and surprising them with that edge would be best for now.

A few explosions rocked the camp as Team Seven peppered the ground with tags as the first few horsemen approached. The frantic explosions didn't take out too many of the scattered horsemen, but Sakura did notice that their horses would no longer come near the edge of the wagons.

"They're scare of the explosions," Sasuke noted. "But there are so many; we can't scare them all off with the tags we have." For once the boy seemed to be out of snark as he looked out over the dunes. "How did they get this close?"

They had to be a local bandit group, or several groups working together. No way could a hoard of that size sneak into Wind Country. What was disturbing, though, is how would they know precisely where the caravan had stopped for the night? Though the Minister's visit wasn't a secret, the route they were taking was as far as Sakura knew.

Team Eight leapt onto the wagons Team Seven was using. "What the hell were you throwing explosion tags around for?" Kiba demanded over the angry barking of Akamaru. "You almost blew us up!"

"Kiba-kun, please!" Hinata was fidgeting and looked like she wanted to reach out and grab her teammate to prevent him from doing something stupid; she was tittering halfway between taking a step forward and standing in place.

"They're moving to attack the side," Sasuke hissed, drawing everyone's attention.

Indeed, the main group had wheeled out into the desert and looped around to the unprotected flank on the right side of the tower. Unlike the initial charge, the horsemen were clearly lined up in a wedge formation. Likely, this pierce maneuver had been their plan from the start and the frontal attack had only been a diversion. Sakura recognized the strategy because she had seen the exact same thing, on a much smaller scale, in an Academy textbook. Against a powerful enemy, one team member would distract them while the other two flanked the side.

Of course, the jounin was notice this immediately and direct the defenders to adjust their focus, but there had to be something the genin could do to slow the bandits down.

Unfortunately, Kurenai was nowhere to be seen. Sakura scanned the crowd twice, ignoring Kiba's further ranting, and didn't see the woman. Team Eight's leader should have already taken command of the situation! If no one was directing the force, the horseman wheel around in the dark and cut through the camp like reapers in a field of wheat.

"Ignore the wagons! They're going to flank us from the left! Swordsman to the front, archers to the back; aim for the horses!" Sakura hoped that her voice would spur the caravanners into action. Hisagi, who had been doing his best during Kurenai's absence, repeated the ninja's orders. Without any kind of command structure, he was seemingly willing to listen to anyone who had combat training in this hell.

A handful of glorified cart drivers wouldn't last long in a real battle, though. If there was just some way she could keep those horses from charging the lines. However, simply chasing the horses away wouldn't end the attack; only getting rid of the mobility advantage could work.

"We have to funnel them into the explosions," Sakura realized. The idea of actually killing something – a whole lot of somethings – didn't sit very well with the genin, but unless they could break the bandit's charge there wouldn't be anything left to defend on this mission. Already the sounds of battle were drifting up her position and it didn't sound very pleasant; the screams in particular were rapidly being etched into her mind.

Naruto looked at the crowded battle being waged all over the camp. "If we use explosive tags **now** we'll hit everybody! We're wasting time just sitting here!"

Didn't he understand? Couldn't he see what had to happen? Didn't any of them? Sakura looked around at their strained faces and realized none of them had even pieced together the problem, let alone the solution. "I have a plan-!"

"Your first _plan_ almost blew us up!" Kiba erupted. He pushed into her personal space and growled up against her face. "I'm not sticking around for this when we should be doing what Kurenai-sensei said. Come on, Akamaru. We're not going to stay up here with the scaredy-cats who probably want to play in the dirt."

Sakura glared at the boy's back as he leapt off the carriage. "Idiot," she hissed. However, her anger turned to shock as Sasuke pushed by her as well. He disappeared into the mass of bodies without a word to the group, followed by Shino who was stoic as ever. Naruto, looking between the battle and Sakura, mumbled an apology before running off after the other boys as well.

Only Hinata was left. She was shaking quietly, but wasn't willing to leave just yet. "W-What did you want to d-do?"

It took a moment for Sakura to get over her shock. Her voice was still shaky when she answered, "Hinata, you've got to give me all your explosive tags. We have to get the bandits out of the camp or, no matter what, we'll be overwhelmed." Sakura was convinced that this was the only way they would mostly make it out of this unharmed and now, with her team in the line of fire, she **had** to succeed. Everyone was counting on this. If Hinata ran off like the others...

Sakura couldn't help her lip quivering, but she did let her head fall so her hair would cover her face. "Please...you have to trust me. Please, _please_ trust me."

Sakura managed to stifle a hitch in her breathing when Hinata pushed her weapon pouch into her hands. "I believe in you, Sakura-san." When the pink-haired girl's head snapped back up, she found Hinata smiling back at her; she looked more confident than Sakura could ever remember seeing her, as if she really, honestly believed in her.

"I needed that," Sakura whispered. Some life came back to her voice and she gave the Hyuuga a wide, frantic grin. "I promise we'll get out of this alive. All of us. Just wait for me here, Hinata!"

Then she jumped off the side of the carriage and instantly crashed through the sand.

Sakura had never moved as fast as she was going underground before. However, a battle had never been waged right over her head, either. The rumbles and shouts from above spurred the girl on and forced her to work quickly.

Clear pictures of the landscape flashed through her mind as she swam through the ground. She had always been a quick reader and had never forgotten a book after reading it, but now that talent was being applied to other things. To traps. It was, she had realized, a gigantic math problem. With only ten explosive tags, she had to be precise.

From atop the wagons, Hinata scanned the darkness for any sign of Sakura. She desperately wanted to go and help her team in the fight. Something, though, was keeping her rooted to her spot. Sakura's promise had been so sincere that the girl found she couldn't force herself to move.

"She can do it," Hinata whispered. From anyone else a promise like that would have seemed crazy, but Sakura had looked so sure of herself. At that moment, she reminded Hinata of someone else: a boy with blond hair and blue eyes who always did what he said he'd do no matter what. At this point, Sakura had to come through. The motley crew of caravanners was falling back rapidly into the camp interior with horseman pouring into the space gained. It was about to be a route.

And then Hinata spotted her. Sakura exploded out of the ground behind the horseman like a cork released underwater. In the darkness of the desert, something in the genin's hand was producing a spark of light that drew Hinata's Byakugan like a beacon. It was, she realized, a mass of flash grenades. They were clutched together with a single fuse that was already burning into their centers, undoubtedly cooking Sakura's hand with them. Still, Hinata watched Sakura hold onto them for a few breathless moments.

Sakura's arm drew back, took aim, and hurled the grenades in a wide, wide arc. Hinata missed Sakura disappearing back underground as she, and most of belligerents fighting, watched the burning orbs fly over their heads. They landed in the middle of the frontline and fizzled in the sand. Then, with a mighty flash, they erupted into incandescence twinkles of light that bathed the entire camp in blinding whiteness.

Even though Hinata threw her arms up to shield her eyes, she could see what was going on with the Byakugan. The horses spooked under their riders and smashed into each other to get away from the explosion. They retreated back through the gap their riders had cut in the camp's defenders and fanned out into the desert. However, they did not escape the cascading explosions that ripped into their ranks.

It was as if they were running on a minefield. The worst of the explosions were right outside of the camp where the fighting had first taken place, but no longer had any living caravanners defenders and out in the desert where the tail-end of the horseman wedge was trapped. Again the beasts spooked and, caught between the two explosions, dove for the center where most all of the bandits were now crowded. Hinata saw a pulse of chakra in the center just before a great plume of sand and smoke burst from the ground, devouring the huddled mass of humanity in the dusty fallout.

Hinata had to deactivate her Byakugan; the carnage in the center of that explosion was indescribable. She collapsed to her hands and knees in horror, fighting to not empty her stomach. Their salvation had come at a cost – the girl felt a shudder wrack her body as something withered and died within her. She was safe and uninjured, but dozens had died for that safety. So many had died.

She felt the carriage rock and heard footsteps coming up to her. She didn't need to look up to know who it would be.

So many emotions were going through the girl at that moment. She was grateful for the plan working, proud of herself for believing in her new friend, mortified at what the other girl had done, and distraught at so much death. When she felt Sakura draw near to her, there was only one emotion that stood out.

"S-Sakura, I-" Hinata rubbed her eyes on her shirt sleeve and slowly turned around. She brushed her long bangs out of her eyes and looked up at the girl. Those jade eyes flew open in fear. "N-N-No..."

Behind a pair of goggles and rebreather, dark grey eyes met Hinata. As did two dozen more from out in the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

This is me getting back into the habit of writing! I wonder how it will go. I am using a new style of storytelling and I want to know if it's a hit or not. If you decide to review, please take a few lines to give me some feedback about that, if you would.

Disclaimer: Even after five years of writing for it, I still don't own Naruto.

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**T**he thing that marked Konoha for most was not the sprawl of the city, the high walls protecting it, or even the massive stone faces leering out over the forest. To the traders and peasants, these landmarks were dear to their hearts and served to distinguish the village, but to the _real_ residents what made home feel like home was the smell. Every season brought with it a new array of smells, each mixing and twisting with others until they became a bouquet in the forest welcoming weary warriors home after long missions like the crowds never would.

Sakura's favorite had been the spring in childhood. The smell of fresh flowers was never absent from her home in the spring. She would wake every morning and throw open the window to water the droopy daises sitting on the sill while looking out into the neighborhood. On the days where it had rained during the night, everyone's gardens would be in full bloom and the view was breathtaking. Cultured tulips and orchids lined the walkways up to each home and flowering magnolia trees towered overhead in some places; even on the street wildflowers sprouted out of the cobblestone, hurling themselves up between the rocks toward the sun.

Her first mission had been in the autumn, after graduating from the Academy. There had been nothing romantic about that and the season matched her mood at the time. Autumn was horrible for Konoha – everything beautiful was either dead or dying, the leaves from the thousands of trees the city was named for choking the life out of the plants below them.

_I'm like one of those flowers now_, Sakura told herself, _choking. _She couldn't see or feel, but that feeling of foreboding and dread she felt when the first leaf would start to change colors was starting to pound in her heart. She could feel the death around her, though she could not see it. She couldn't see anything but a blindingly bright light that filled her eyes. The smells were enough to tell her that things were wrong. Rotting, festering smells that made her gag and cough. Blind though she was, her hands groped about and she felt the rough sand on either side of her, once her fingers had felt past the narrow rug that was her litter. The sand was cool, though, as was her face. There was no harsh desert sun beating down on her here.

Voices in the distance caught Sakura's attention. The words came to her as though filtered through water and the girl feebly tried to clutch her ear. It was a wasted gesture – her arms felt like lead weights and the skin on her right crawled with pain every time her muscles flexed. She grunted intelligibly as her arm felt back to the ground, half on her rug bed and half in the sand. The voices didn't become any clearer, but they did ring louder after a moment. Sakura jerked away when rough fingers grazed the flesh of her arm and she had to be held as someone poked and prodded. She felt something touch her lips and a hand gently pried them open. When she bit down, she tasted wood. Another garbled voice and then a lancing hot pain on her arm as some kind of liquid washed over the trembling flesh. Sakura bit down so hard that her teeth began to creak and she tasted sticky, coppery blood seeping out from under one a tooth. Heaving, she tried to pull her arm back after the pain stopped, but the hands still held her in place. One worked its way through Sakura's hair like her mother used to do, though the large fingers caught on knots and tangles. When she felt heat prickling on the skin of her arm, she bit down harder. At the first burn her blurry white vision clouded with tears and then went black.

When next she woke, Sakura found that the world wasn't quite so alien. Her vision was still swimming in whiteness, but ringing in her ears had subsided some. Moreover, she didn't feel like a listless sack of pain anymore. Her right arm still painfully quivered with every breath, but her left was much more mobile than it had been. Remembering her earlier pain, Sakura was slow to test it; just a few finger movements at first and then a shuddering clench of her fist.

"She's awake," someone called. Their voice was less of a muffle now than before, though it still took some effort for Sakura to understand. "Someone get Commander Hisagi!"

So, Hisagi had survived? Sakura smiled despite her pitiful condition. She had been afraid that the caravan leadership would have been targeted by the bandits, but it looked like the leader had escaped. Hisagi was the stern caravan master that had ran things day-to-day as they traveled the desert as well as led part of the defense of the camp against the raiders. He had been gruff, but kind enough in the end that Sakura wanted to see the old man again.

There was a rustle of canvas from a few paces off. Sakura heard the clinks and rattles of weapons; no ninja would be that carless with arms. "Hisagi-san?" she ventured when no one immediately spoke up. She heard the sand shift under someone's foot as they stepped closer.

"You looked like cooked bacon, girl." It was definitely the caravan leader that had stepped over to her.

Sakura's mouth twitched.

"That was quite uncalled for, Hisagi. We owe this girl a great deal."

That voice was unfamiliar at first. It wasn't as deep as Hisagi's, but there was a subtle edge to it that the old man didn't have. Sakura turned her head toward the voice, unseeing, and realized that it was missing the tension of the other's; in all the battling and death there was one person keeping their head.

It was clear now. "Thank you, Minister-sama." Sakura let out a long sigh in relief – the fighting hadn't gotten to him.

"It is us who should be thanking you, I think. My guards tell me that your actions were effective in driving the bandits out of camp and we are hardly worse for wear; cleanup notwithstanding, of course." The Minister ignored Hisagi's scoff. He ran a thin finger over the inflamed flesh of Sakura's arm, almost in a caress. "Tell us of her wounds," he called out.

There was more shuffling nearby and footsteps fell on either side of the prone girl. "The burns weren't so bad except for her hands and we bound them up quick enough after pulling her out of the desert." Sakura didn't recognize this voice. "The problem was that sand had been blasted into her arm – it was probably from the explosion – and it festered. The flesh had to be cut open and treated it with alcohol and hot iron to burn out the infection. She almost lost the arm."

Sakura fought not to jerk her arm away from the Minister's fingers. "How long was I out?" she asked, knowing that an infection didn't appear overnight. _I must have passed out after the last explosion_. She remembered lighting the last wad of explosive tags and hurrying to get away from the blast in time to avoid being caught up in it. How the caravanners managed to find her out in the desert was a mystery as much as it was a miracle.

"Two days, give or take a few hours," Hisagi answered.

"Are we still in the camp?"

Hisagi grunted again. "Take a look around. How could we move with all these wounded?"

_They don't know I can't see. _Sakura closed her eyes and wearily nodded. That explained the smell at least; they must have put her in a makeshift infirmary with the rest of the wounded. She wondered if Sasuke or Naruto were in here as well? "My teammates—"

"They're outside helping with the wagons. So's your teacher – he's the one that wanted us to keep an eye on you." Sakura heard the caravan commander shuffle around in the sand and start walking away. "I'll go get him. Maybe now that blonde kid will leave me alone."

The fingertips on her arm lifted and ruffling silk heralded the Minister leaving as well. "I shall have to come up with something to thank you with for this," he said. "Getting such a horrible scar at such a young age…I doubt there's much that could make up for it."

_Scars_, Sakura thought. She lifted her left hand and lightly ran a finger over the length of her right arm. She could feel rows of stitches and charred flesh as well as quite a few pot marks, probably from where they had cut away skin to get to the infection. Much was wrapped in bandages. Her whole arm felt like one big lump of burned flesh. _It must really look like a piece of overcooked bacon_.

Sasuke would probably think she was disgusting and Ino would laugh. Every ninja had scars of course and Sakura even had a few faint ones on her arms and legs from practicing with kunai or shuriken. Some men had big disfiguring scars, but never the women. Sakura assumed they were smart enough to get out of the way of giant explosions. Maybe the village doctors could do something about the scars once they all got back?

"**Sakura-chan!" **It didn't take eyes to guess who the new visitor to the tent was. She pulled her arm back reflexively as Naruto came crashing into the sand by her litter, gasping at the pain that suddenly hit her. "Oh gross! What happened to your arm?"

If Sakura had been able to she would have cuffed him. "You hold a handful of flare notes and see how your hand looks." She heard Naruto curse and felt him reel back from the cot. "How's the arm, Sakura?"

"It hurts, Kakashi-sensei." She shyly smiled, though. Kakashi would know exactly what to do to get everything right again.

The only indication that Kakashi was doing anything was the slight ruffle his vest made as he bent over. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder, prodding and kneading the flesh there. "Your shoulder isn't broken or out of joint," he announced, voice as even as a Konoha medic, "but it's tender. You took a shock to it and lifted your arm to protect your face. The burns go from your hand up to your wrist from the flares to get the horses moving." His musings were not questions so Sakura stayed silent and bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain. Kakashi maneuvered her arm around in his hands so that it was off the sand. She heard him sniff. "The cuts on your arm got infected from the bits of sand that got into them from the blast. If you think about all the bits of horse and people that were probably whipped up with all the dirt, you got off pretty lucky." He set her arm gently back down on the rug cot.

Sakura, actually, did _not_ want to think that bits of bandit that had been flying around like that and turned her head to glare at him, or at least his general direction. She was amazed that he could tell all of that from her wounds, though.

"And you've been blinded by the flares, too." She felt a rush of air on her face and got the sensation that something was right in front of her nose. Finally, she grimaced and nodded. A heavy hand gently ruffled her hair. "It's probably only temporary." In a lighter tone Kakashi said, "There's a warning on the box those notes come in, you know? It says: 'Do not use close to face.' And here I thought you were the smart one on the team."

"The teacher reflects on the student," Sakura laughed, a pain though it was. Her head fell back on the sand and her eyelids slid down over burning eyes; the whiteness didn't burn so much if her eyes were closed.

Naruto crawled back over to her. "Is Sakura-chan going to be alright?" His whisper (what he thought was a whisper) was more than loud enough to hear, but Sakura pretended that she didn't. It brought a small smile to her lips, but Naruto was no Sasuke. It hurt that he didn't come to see how she was.

"Oh, I think she'll be up and around in a week or so, once we get out of the desert and back to Konoha. It's going to be a long and bumpy trip back, though."

That didn't sound too appealing. Every move of her hand ended in nothing but pain and the blisters on her palm and fingers made it useless in a fight; the patchwork of stitches on her arm and the lingering threat of infection were just as bad. Sakura knew what Kakashi was saying: _The mission is over, we have to retreat. _This would be Team Seven's first failure in a mission and it stung. She pulled her arm in closer and struggled to put it up over her chest, off the rough rug she was laying on. There were bindings on her chest and stomach that served as much better cushions. It still hurt, though.

"Still hurts?" Kakashi asked in a mutter. "I had them give you a ground-up poppy pill so I figured you'd still be loopy." Poppy pills were emergency anesthesia on the battlefield, Sakura knew. They took a while to start numbing pain in the diluted form Konoha sold to ninja, but a whole pill had to be doing a lot for her discomfort. It was scary to think that her arm hurt this much even under the poppy's effects.

Sakura heard Kakashi move away and Naruto complain about being yanked up. They were careful to speak in low whispers this time, much to her annoyance. She wasn't a child and they were her teammates! Equals! "What are you two plotting over there?" she demanded.

"Nothing, nothing! Just some business Naruto and I need to get to! _Right Naruto?_" There was a yelp from the poor boy and a thump of boot-on-butt. "We'll be back later, Sakura! Try to stay out of the sun until we get back!" There was the ruffle of canvas and once again Sakura was left by herself.

Suddenly the girl felt very alone. The sounds around her were more vivid now that she cared to listen and the effects of the poppy were slacking. Men were groaning or cursing and there were a few hitched sobs. One man was reciting a prayer to a Suna spirit – a Dinjin or so the people of Wind called them. He was begging for a merciful death. Sakura felt goose bumps start to crawl up her arms, uncomfortable as they were on her right. Had she been that close to death? If she were still out in that desert, half-hidden under the dunes would she be praying for a quick end? She felt ashamed that her injury – on her arm – was causing her so much pain even after a poppy pill. Did the men around her even have anesthetic? Typical ninja didn't carry much in the way of battlefield medical supplies and she doubted that the caravan had much to spare with all the other wounded.

Sakura wondered how Team Eight was doing. She didn't expect them to wait by her bedside or anything, but maybe Hinata would work up the courage to come and see her – if she could make it past the wounded, that is. The girl would probably faint if she saw Sakura's arm.

Other than listen to the wounded moan there wasn't much to do and the shock of the smell and sounds was starting to lessen. The stench had been horrible at first, but she had been taught to ignore smells at the Academy. _All a state of mind,_ she told herself. So long as you had a focus you could block out anything and the throbbing pain in her arm didn't even require any especial concentration to occupy her mind. She thought of other things to drown out the pain and noise so she could rest: of how her mother was going to fuss over her back home or the hazard pay she was going to get for this. The normal pay would be withheld because they were calling off the mission, but Sakura would still get a bonus for being injured in the line of duty.

The sand next to her cot suddenly shifted as someone sat down next to her. "Hello?" she called out.

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun?" Had they actually got him to come see her? Kakashi must have threatened him with something fierce to get the stoic boy to take the time to drop by. She had wanted Sasuke to sit at her bedside, but not like this. Not being forced. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I can tell Kakashi-sensei that you came to see me and you can just go back to the wagon or something."

Sasuke's clothes rustled as he moved around. He wasn't getting up, though, and after a moment he stopped squirming. "I needed a break anyway."

The silence that followed his declaration was uncomfortable. Sakura was unwilling to break it and Sasuke was being unhelpfully quiet. If she could see his face then maybe it would help read his mood. Sakura let her eyes flutter open and tried to get an idea of what was around her, but her vision was still only a veil of white.

"So, what's going on outside?" _Nothing ventured nothing gained._ "Kakashi-sensei didn't tell me much."

"We're loading up the last of the wagons with the provisions we have. We could have left a day ago, but the ANBU are busy interrogating the enemies they captured to see if there's another ambush waiting on us." Sasuke's voice was closer than it had been. Either he was leaning over her, which was unlikely, or he had stretched out on the sand beside her litter. He must not have been lying about needing a break.

His words were odd, though. The ANBU had captured some of the bandits, but it was taking this long to get any information out of them? Sellswords weren't known for their ability to keep their mouths shut. A few threats and maybe a slap or two and any bandit would be spilling their guts to a seasoned Konoha interrogator.

"They must be better than they looked," Sakura murmured.

"You saw them when you went out into the desert?" Skepticism crept into Sasuke's voice. "Kakashi didn't mention that."

"We all saw the bandits. They were everywhere."

There was another long silence that made Sakura uncomfortable. She wondered what she had said to upset Sasuke this time.

"No one's told you yet? The bandits weren't the ones that set up the ambush – the ANBU caught several ninja trying to infiltrate the camp while everyone was dealing with the bandits. There were at least forty of them and they killed six ANBU and most of the chunin before they were cleared out of the camp."

Sakura couldn't believe that forty enemy ninja had gotten so close to the camp without anyone noticing. There were three chunin teams with the caravan and four ANBU teams, both containing four members to a team. Even though they had been killed two for every one Konoha-nin, how many more could be waiting in the wings? Maybe this was only the first round of a much longer fight?

As if sensing the tension, Sasuke grunted. "Kakashi said that the ANBU know what they did to get past our defenses last night and that it won't happen again."

_They never should have gotten so close in the first place_, Sakura thought. "Did you fight any of them, Sasuke-kun?"

The boy shifted again. "After the bandits left, Kakashi ordered us all to the Minister's carriage. The ANBU were fighting by the tower and some of the wagons were burning. The Minister, though…his guards killed ten before we could get to him. We found them all piled up outside his carriage door."

Those two stoic guards from Otogakure were that strong? Sakura wondered if Orochimaru had picked them out personally for the mission or maybe they were some sort of Oto Special Forces. If two could take out ten without any casualties, they had to be at least upper-level jounin. It had been stupid think earlier that they would know her.

"Was anyone in Team Eight hurt?" Sakura asked next, getting the topic away from the Oto-nin. "Kakashi didn't mention them when he was in here."

"Just what did you and Kakashi talk about?" Sasuke sounded annoyed. "He didn't tell you about Hinata?"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. "What about Hinata? Is she in here somewhere?"

"She's gone missing. Team Eight are out in the desert now looking for her. Kiba found her weapon pouch outside camp and Kakashi thinks a few of the ninja that attacked us got away and took her as a hostage."

"A _hostage?_" Thunderstruck, Sakura forced herself to sit up. "Do they know that she's the Hyuuga heir?" Were they going to ransom Hinata for money or leverage with the Hyuuga? Would the Hyuuga pay whatever was demanded? Probably not, given their position in the village – any enemy village would know that, too. Why take her, then? A quick ace in the hole if they got caught? ANBU could surely wring the truth out of the prisoners, couldn't they?

"The ANBU are out looking for her, right?"

"They have been for the last two days. They're making us do the _cleanup_ since they keep going out into the desert." Sasuke's tone grew short. "You should be out there picking up the mess, not us. It was your plan."

Sakura didn't know how to respond to that. "S-Sorry, Sasuke-kun." What more could she say? Unless he wanted to carry her on his back she couldn't go out there and help pick up…people pieces.

"There are so many people out there, just rotting. Did you even think about how many people would die before you did it?"

_How could he ask that?_ Did he want her to say that she had weighed all those lives and destruction against the mission failing or everyone dying? Sakura almost asked him if he thought he'd be sitting there if she had stopped to grapple with a moral dilemma in the middle of the fighting.

"I wish that many people hadn't died." It was the most she could honestly say at the moment. She had given the numbers a thought right before deciding to blow them all up, but there hadn't been any other way! Surely Sasuke could see that; he would grunt and say that he agreed. Any second now.

Only there were no more words from the boy. In fact, after a few minutes of silence Sakura reached out to him only to find an empty patch of sand. Had he left before she had answered or was her response so bad that he couldn't stand it? Sakura didn't know, but she didn't feel like taking any more visitors after that. Someone came by after an indeterminate time and gave her some kind of medicine that made her drowsy. Tired, hungry, and emotionally drained, she succumbed to the tug of her heavy eyelids.

...

**W**hen Sakura next awoke, she was greeted with the sounds of a great many conversations. The infirmary tent seemed to be buzzing with activity and new smells. Without thinking, she tried to sit up only to fall back onto the sand with a hiss, clutching her arm back to her chest. _Idiot, it's one giant injury right now, _she mentally chided.

She shifted her weight and rolled over on her side instead, facing the direction of what she thought was the main entrance to the medic tent, and opened her eyes. Instead of the massive blob of whiteness of before, there were actually spots of color now. Blurs moved across her field of vision in wavy patterns of distorted human-like shapes. Flickering lights of red and orange made Sakura guess that it was sometime in the afternoon or night, since those lights were probably torch fires. Her left hand, her good hand, rubbed at her eyes. Shapes were gradually becoming clearer, though it still hurt to directly look at the fires burning around the tent.

"You're finally up again. We were worried that we had overdosed you on the pills your instructor gave us." Sakura craned her head up to see the young man addressing her. He had a large satchel hanging from one shoulder and she could see various bottles and fresh bandages peeking out from under its flap. He moved closer and squatted down to get a look at her right arm. "It's about time to change those bandages. Would you like to eat while I'm doing it?"

Sakura nodded and soon the medic had called over one of the dinner servers moving about the tent. The smells that had replaced death and fresh wounds turned out to be a stew of various meats and vegetables – a potluck of what rations the caravan had to spare after the attack, she guessed. It was good enough for Sakura, though, and she quickly took an offered bowl of the mystery stew.

"I feel like I haven't eaten in a week," she sighed, savoring the warm broth. Not even the twinges of pain from her blood-dried bandages brought down the meal.

"It's because you've been in here, in and out of consciousness, for two days." The young medic was checking each cut and stich as they were uncovered by the stained bandages. "We were going to start feeding you nutrients paste if you hadn't woken up this morning."

Feeling the last bit of bandage pop free of her skin made Sakura look over at her arm. It had a very nasty line of stitches that ran from her wrist up to her elbow in a thin crescent flaps. The skin had to have been cut and pulled back, probably to the bone, in order to burn out the infection and dig out pieces of debris that had gotten into it from the blast. There were other roughshod cuts and burns further up and the whole appendage was a sick purple hue, complete with dark veins running up and down. Like Kakashi had said, her hand and wrist were covered in burns that made the skin flake and crack; blisters had already formed on her palm and fingers.

Sakura groaned and pushed the bowl of stew away before she heaved it all back up, starving or not. If the pain wasn't so real, Sakura would swear she was dreaming about watching one of her mother's cheesy horror movies with patchwork zombies in it.

"It's better than it looks, believe it or not." The medic was dabbing a cotton ball soaked in what smelled like alcohol on the stitches and burns. The fizzing of the infection was somehow worse than the pain; the sound made her skin crawl. "You almost lost the whole arm but your teacher wouldn't let us take it off. He was the one who cut the skin back and treated the infection since none of us knew how to do it."

In a dark corner of her mind, Sakura wondered if it wouldn't have been better to lose the arm rather than have _that_ to look at each day. Could the medic-nin back at the village even fix it? Would she have full use of her hand again after it healed? Asking the caravan medic would be useless – he wouldn't know what a medic-nin could do and he had already admitted he was in over his head.

Sakura forced herself to thank the young man before he moved off to the next person in the line of cots. That one didn't look so bad until she saw his legs. Or, rather, his lack of legs: they ended right below his kneecaps in two stumps that were tied up with large strips of cloth. When the medic started unwinding them Sakura looked away.

The rest of the tent was hardly better to look at. _And I'm complaining about a few scars,_ she thought. Everywhere she looked were maimed or dying men. Many had lost arms, fingers, or ears to the bandits and they weren't complaining. Sakura forced herself to finish her stew, ashamed. She had been thinking in _mights_ and _what-ifs_ – for those people there was a certainty that their lives were going to change. More, they weren't in lines of work that usually risked injury. Everything Sakura had read about the Great Desert didn't make it out to be very dangerous other than the physical crossing. A ninja, though, should expect to get maimed or cut or scared in the course of their career.

She flexed her hand, forcing herself not to express the pain. The skin hurt, but the muscles still worked. Her arm could move as well – Kakashi had been careful where he cut.

_I can still fight._ Sakura let out a relieved sigh and started manipulating her burnt fingers into seals. The blisters kept her hands from closing all the way, but she found that they didn't impede her chakra flow and the warm heat of molding energy flowed through her arm. Kakashi had once said her control was excellent for a Genin so maybe she could compensate for the injury? Sakura wasn't in any hurry to test just _how_ good her chakra control was in combat, though, despite her teacher's endorsement.

After polishing off the rest of her stew, Sakura went about taking inventory of the rest of her body. Lying for two days on her back left the girl feeling stiff and sore. She stretched out her legs and clenched her toes, sighing when they cracked. Her body had gotten used to the exercises Kakashi had them doing in the mornings and afternoons and her leg muscles felt far too tight. Other than that, nothing seemed very wrong. There was a light rasp when she took deep breaths, but Sakura discovered a large black and blue bruise just below her chest that explained that. Tracing it with her finger, Sakura wondered if it had happened before she blacked out or after. She remembered setting the explosives, the explosion, and then the feeling of being hit with a shockwave under the sand. _That's probably when I was knocked out,_ she thought.

Thought it was late, Sakura didn't feel nearly as worn down as she had that morning. She did a few more stretches with her good arm and decided to at least work her legs a bit with a walk around camp. One medic did try and stop her, but he was too swamped with patients to insist that the girl return to her cot. Instead he told her to be careful of the pits and asked her to at least come back to the medical tent to sleep. That was a reasonable request and Sakura promised she'd do just that. Before she could ask about what the "pits" were, though, the medic was called away by one of his patients crying out in pain. The shrill sound of his screams drove Sakura from the tent with more haste than she had originally started out with.

It turned out she wouldn't need to ask what the pits where since they were the first things she saw upon pushing open the tent flap. Sakura had expected a pleasant night, but smoke was hanging in the air so thick that she started to cough. The ground itself was belching the smog from fire pits twice the size of a wagon. They littered the desert outside of the camp and their glowing embers could be seen clearly from where Sakura was standing. She watched two dirty men carry the stripped body of a bandit to one of the pits and toss it in. A robed man on the other side of the pit made a few hand seals and a stream of fire burst from his mouth and settled in the pit like a thick fog. He kept it stoked for a few more seconds until it was burning on its own and then went to the next pit in the line. There were dozens of them, it seemed to Sakura.

Sakura looked away. How many of those pits had she filled two nights ago? _They would have killed all of us_, Sakura thought. She was suddenly angry at herself for the flash of disgust she felt and she made her eyes return to the pits. _Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto – they could have died. _Were those corpses roasting worth more than her teammates? They had attacked a peaceful caravan, hurt all those people in the medical tent, and helped kidnap Hinata! Getting rid of them was one of theleast-questionable things she had done in her career!

_Why should I be sorry for them? _Sakura walked toward the pits. _They were working for the guys that took Hinata. _With every step her frown deepened until it was almost a snarl at the pit's edge. Sakura looked past the fire and smoke at the charred, indiscernible lumps at the bottom resting on a thick sea of ash, crackling in the fire. To Sakura's disgust, the bodies smelled like cooking pork and she brought her good arm up to block her nose. The fire had disfigured most of the faces, but a few looked up out of the pit with smoking eyes, mouths, and ears. Thick smoke gathered about the area like a foul miasma and Sakura counted seven different incineration pits, all aflame. Smoke was just as likely to attract curious parties as the smell of rotting flesh, but this way the camp wouldn't be filled with disease.

A body in the pit split open at the ribcage with a loud pop and Sakura flinched away from the edge. Similar noises were coming from the other pits as water and blood in the fresh bodies started to boil and let off steam.

"Not exactly the most pleasant place for a walk, is it?" Kakashi stepped from around one of the pits, though he kept his eye on the bodies.

The first thought Sakura had upon seeing him was that he looked ragged. His usually immaculate vest was punctured with dozens of small holes and white bandages showed through some of the rips in his undershirt.

Kakashi followed Sakura's gaze to his tattered clothes. "Some of the enemy had interesting techniques," he said, thumbing one of the holes in his vest. "But what are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to see the bodies." Sakura couldn't put a voice to the emotion that had taken hold of her when she saw the fires. It was still there, lurking in the back of her mind and stoking her anger as she watched the smoke rise into the sky. Looking at the corpses hadn't done anything to lessen the anger but it had made her feel less antsy. "Seeing them down there made my skin stop crawling," Sakura admitted.

"Well, I felt the same way after I made my first kill. I poked the body for a few seconds afterward and nearly got my head taken off." Kakashi gently started guiding Sakura away from the pits. They were walking slowly, just meandering away from the smoke and fire toward the camp. "I was four years younger than you, though. Personally, I think they start you too late on real missions. A lot of genin would break from something like this; a single kill is different from what you had to do."

"Have you ever…" Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the rising smoke. "I mean, that many at once?"

The man nodded. They were coming up on the wagons and Kakashi led Sakura over to a step and let her rest. "A few times," he admitted, answering her question, "and they weren't always combatants. That was the worst of it: killing that many people just because they were important to a war effort or as just another part of a mission."

Sakura studied her teacher. His body posture was as devil-may-care as ever, but his eye was unfocused and looking past the camp. She knew the war had to be the Third Shinobi World War Kakashi was talking about. _That war took place in the dense urban districts of the Fire Nation_. _Just what did Kakashi-sensei have to do back then?_

"You're lucky that your first time wasn't as questionable as that." His hand fell on Sakura's shoulder and she snapped out of her thoughts. "You stopped the mission from becoming a bloodbath. Taking a life is a terrible thing, but letting your teammates die because you couldn't do it is worse. Trust me on that."

She knew the point he was trying to make, but it wasn't the reason she was feeling so odd. Sakura didn't know what the cause of it was, but it wasn't regret for killing those bandits. Guilt had never factored into it. "You're really talkative today, Sensei," she noticed, changing the subject. This was probably the most Kakashi had ever said about himself in the months he had been her team leader.

Kakashi let his hand drop from Sakura's shoulder and scratched his cheek. "Well, let's just say I've already had to play counselor a few times today already and more times than I can count in the last few days." His gaze fell to the sand under his feet. "If I had known it would be like this, I'd have turned the mission down."

"Well, yeah. Getting ambushed like that—"

"No, that's not what I mean. Even if we had known about the ambush and the bandits I still wouldn't have brought you three on this mission. The bodies and the death – you kids weren't ready for it."

Something about that tugged at Sakura's memory. "Sasuke-kun was strange when he visited. What happened to him?"

"I thought talking to you away from the pits would be good for him." Kakashi sighed, sounding tired. "I can't tell you too much about it – he'll tell you if he wants – but other than you I'd say he's dealing with the most today."

"I don't think I helped too much, Kakashi-sensei." In fact, Sakura got the feeling she made it worse.

Kakashi didn't say anything. He just leaned his head back against the side of the wagon and stared up at the sky. Sakura hadn't thought of it before, but she guessed the situation was as stressful on her teacher as it was on her. Maybe even more so since it looked like he seemed like he was in charge of the mission. _All his problems and I'm just adding to them. There's really something wrong with me_. Sakura still felt empty and she didn't know what was wrong. She had thought seeing the bodies of the people that had hurt her friends would do it, but it just left her unfulfilled.

"I'm sure you helped a little bit; don't get down if it seemed like you didn't," Kakashi said as he pushed off the wagon. "That kid is complicated but I think he'll be back to normal when we put this place behind us."

That was a welcome thought to Sakura. The sooner they left the better she would feel. "Will we be alright without the ANBU?" she wondered. The masked ninja made Sakura feel better just knowing that they were around camp.

"Well, they go where the Minister goes and he's going on to Suna. We'll be going back to Konoha with most of the wounded, but I doubt we'll run into any more trouble. I'll be there, anyway, and so will Kurenai."

Sakura suddenly got a very bad feeling that she was missing something again. "Sasuke-kun said the ANBU were looking for Hinata."

Again Kakashi's face fell. "She's a member of the Hyuuga Clan and the ANBU can't spare the manpower to look for her. Her own clan will send out hunters to find her as soon as we report it in Konoha."

The unspoken meaning was clear to Sakura. _To find her body._ Kakashi thought she was dead already. "She was my responsibility, Kakashi-sensei! I…I left her on that wagon. I _left_ her there and you're all just deserting her!" The girl scrambled to her feet. They were leaving her, Kurenai and Kakashi were leaving her, here to rot!

Kakashi caught her good arm. "And what are you planning to do? Go out into the desert, wounded, and look for her?" His eye was looking right into hers and his voice cut through her anger. "The ANBU have been over every square inch of the desert around this camp and they haven't found anything. One extra genin out there looking won't change anything.

The argument made sense and Sakura knew it, but it left a horrible taste in her mouth. She could still picture Hinata handing over her explosive tags and trusting her when Sakura told her they would all make it out of the fight safely. They had only been working with each other for a day, but they had been becoming friends – Hinata had been the only one to believe in her plan to get rid of the bandits; the only one that had faith in her.

Sakura pulled hard on her arm. "You told Naruto and Sasuke-kun that someone who deserts their comrade is worse than trash. Didn't you mean that?" Kakashi's grip slackened and Sakura slipped her arm out of his hand.

"You didn't desert your comrades, Sakura – you saved them. Teamwork sometimes means picking the group over the individual. You're thinking that you left Hinata alone and she got caught? If you had taken her with you she'd have died in the fighting."

"You can't know that! Hinata was,** is**, a ninja – she could have been fine!"

Kakashi didn't respond to that. He gave the girl a hard look and said, "Your orders are to fall in with the rest of the wounded tomorrow morning when the Minister leaves. We're going back to Konoha."

Orders; Sakura hated the word. She had taken enough orders from Kabuto to know when there was the threat of punishment in the tone used to order. "Yes, Sensei." As she walked back to the medical tent, Sakura began to work up a plan. She couldn't get away with violating a direct order, but if her life had taught her just one thing it was that there were many different routes to a positive outcome.

After all, disobeying a superior wasn't grounds for punishment if you had higher orders.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: I hate this story and everything in it, yet I can't drop the idea. Expect a rewrite of the first eight chapters if I ever get done with this thing.**_

* * *

Heavy on the in-stroke, light on the out; make sure to blot the ink when you cross the "t"; his wrist always makes a mark on the paper no matter how much of a rush he's in. There were two dozen other little quirks to Kakashi's writing, but Sakura had memorized all the obvious ones.

Sakura hunched over a crate, scribbling in the dim light provided by her one candle. She would have rather not used one, but she was desperate to get this work done as quickly as possible. Borrowing an entire baggage wagon to make her forgery in was already risky enough; if anyone decided to check on the supplies then the game would be up. The lamp, ink, and discarded stack of failed forgeries were enough for anyone to piece together what had been going on in the wagon. Sakura had gone through eleven different drafts before she was satisfied that her forged orders from Kakashi would be good enough, leaving quite the paper trail to dispose of.

She carefully rolled the scroll up. It would be used later, after gathering supplies. Writing it had been the largest risk so far – she had really feared someone would poke their heads into the wagon to see what the light was. Sakura had taken twenty minutes to do what should have been a five minute job since her dominant arm felt like charred gristle, but it was finally done.

Sakura wished she could take another poppy pill. She had filched half of the stock Kakashi had left in the medical tent for her own supplies, but she dared not take one when she needed to be alert. The pain she felt was enough to chase away the slight weariness Sakura felt from being an invalid for two days. It kept her alert and focused on her task.

Risking discovery further, Sakura did not immediately put out her candle. Instead, she pulled out her hip pouch and upended it atop the crate she was working at. Bandages, scrolls, weapons, and tools spilled out. Sakura sorted through most of it, separating the weapons and medicine, tossing what she didn't need. Most of the scrolls were trashed (save her doton and spy journal scrolls) as well as her two rolls of high-tensile trap wire which was of little use outside of the forests of Konoha and the up-country. That freed nearly half of her pouch for extras that she would soon pick up. Sakura was worried at her lack of explosive tags, but it couldn't be helped; all of them had been used in the bandit attack and the caravan would not have extra. In fact, most of her nin-tools would be irreplaceable. Instead, that space would be used for spare medical supplies.

There hadn't been much to steal from the makeshift hospital. A few high quality bandages and morphine had been the extent of what she could make off with. Sakura had been fortunate enough to get an entire bottle of antiseptic, though, which she carefully protected by wrapping it in her spare bandages.

In all, she was ill-prepared for what she was planning to do. There was no helping it, though.

After burning the incriminating scrape drafts in her lamp, she pinched the wick out. She ditched the lamp under the carriage and walked naturally and surely toward the commissariat tent.

The dim morning light showed a camp in the midst of an urgent undertaking. Two lines of wagons were ready to move: one heading to Konoha and another for Suna. Horses that had previously been used to wreck so much havoc were now put to work pulling carts. Catching so many after the fight had been the only real stroke of luck for the waylaid caravan. Sakura used this hustle and bustle to head toward her target unnoticed.

Technically, the commissariat tent was just a depot of what could be saved from the burning wagons. The man overseeing it was one of the only veteran caravaners left and his hands were full trying to get everything packed for either the limp toward Konoha or the journey on to Suna. Sakura walked in, brazen as brass, and waved to the quartermaster when she caught his eye, as if there were nothing unusual with her being in there. After a moment of indecision, he nodded his head and went back to his other work.

Thus overlooked, Sakura went to work. She pulled a new cloak and utility belt from a nearby crate and furtively slipped them on over the tattered remains of her old outfit. Next, she headed to the dried foods and pocketed as much bread and salted meat as she could as well as three goatskins full of water. She carried them at her side, tied in succession by a rope looped across her chest so that they didn't impede her movement.

If there had been any Chuunin left in the camp her shopping trip wouldn't have turned out like it did. The ANBU were stretched thin with the interrogations and guard duty. Regular wagon-drivers had been pulled for guard duty – there were quite a few in the tent – but they couldn't keep up with Sakura's quick fingers. She even lifted a small boot knife off one of them when his back was turned. It wasn't a kunai, but it felt balanced enough to throw.

Sakura left the quartermaster's tent with a utility belt full of rations. By her figures, she had enough water for a trip to either Konoha or Suna if she rationed it and enough food to match.

There was only one more stop to make in the camp.

The caravan master's wagon had survived the attack and the fires. By all accounts, it was what the bandits should have attacked first. Inside of it, Sakura knew, were the precious maps of the Great Suna Desert that caravans depended on to survive. Hisagi would naturally be heading on to Suna with the Oto minister, thus his wagon was the first on the south-bound train. Like the quartermaster tent, it was also guarded by drafted caravaners.

The young girl did not try her earlier trick with the quartermaster. Hisagi knew her face and he was alert enough to realize she had no business in his private wagon. Instead, Sakura quietly pulled herself up atop a wagon several down from her target and crawled, spread-eagle, along the top of the wagon train. What little shadow Sakura cast in on the morning sand was obscured by the still-thick plumes of smoke rising from the burning pits further out. She pulled out the dagger she had pilfered from the quartermaster guard and pried open the top panel of the caravan master's wagon.

Hisagi was not in. Sakura had trailed him before starting her forgery work and knew that he was getting his arm re-bandaged in the hospital tent. Furthermore, with the departure time rapidly approaching, he would not bother to check his own wagon until each and every other was prim and proper.

The ANBU, on the other hand, were most definitely lurking somewhere nearby.

Sakura had spent the rest of her night trying to catch a glimpse of them on patrol, but to no avail. After a scare like an ambush, they would be nothing but flickers out in the desert, crisscrossing pre-determined patrol lines again and again. Sasuke had said there were only a few left, but even one noticing something amiss in Hisagi's wagon would spoil Sakura's entire plan. It was that intense fear of discovery that made Sakura pace herself, painstakingly suppressing each and every noise she made in removing the panel that would serve as her point of entry. Once it was off, Sakura put as much chakra as she could stand in her feet and smoothly slid into the hole, holding herself off the floor of the wagon by her feet spanning the entrance.

She dared not set foot on the floor. These wagons shook with nearly every impact and some of the boards were loose and squeaky. Even the guards outside would notice if there were a thump or, worse, a creak from her feet hiding the floor. As it was, Sakura still restricted her movements to slight turns of the head; at most, a twist of the waist.

The low light that had aided her infiltration hindered her search. Sakura was forced to stare into the gloom for several moments before identifying what she was looking at and nothing looked like the maps she was after.

Sweat was starting to drip from her head and arms. How many minutes had she already spent looking? Five? Ten? How likely was it that a guard wouldn't poke their head in for a random check? Sakura couldn't waste any more time looking, but at the same time there was no rushing it.

She raised her arm to wipe the sweat from her eyes. As she did, Sakura felt something in her cloak slip and her injured arm snapped out to catch the falling boot dagger she hadn't properly stored. She bit her tongue hard to keep from screaming out in pain as the flesh strained against its stitches. Black spots swam before her eyes and she forced down a wave of nausea. She waited, perfectly still, to see if anything had alerted the guards outside. When the doors didn't burst open, she switched the dagger to her good hand and pulled the injured arm to her chest. Sakura could have stabbed herself for how foolish she had been to store a boot knife like a kunai.

But, wait, what was that? Sakura squinted as a sudden beam of light flashed before her eyes. She insanely thought someone had found her out and burst through the door, but it was just as solid as it had been upon her entry. Confused, she followed the light to its source: the polished blade of the very dagger that had nearly spoiled everything. She angled it so that the light from outside hit it more directly and found that it worked readily as a reflector. It pierced the blackness of the wagon and illuminated whatever Sakura wished. Soon, she was gazing upon a rolled up piece of treated lambskin that could only be what she was searching for.

Sakura bit her lip and gently started to sway. She had never attempted to pivot with just chakra holding her, but it worked exactly as she imagined. The sticky chakra held firm, even being twisted, and Sakura was able to snatch the map from the desk after only a few swings. She quickly unrolled it and memorized the various landmarks and marked paths for traversing the desert. This map, Sakura could tell, was quite old and drawn by an experienced hand – most likely Hisagi's own.

There were several routs that the enemy ninja could have used to escape. Two led deeper into the desert, further along the main road to Suna. If the ninja were planning another ambush, they would likely use one of those in order to rest and resupply at the oases along the way. However, if they considered their mission a failure and seek to return to whatever country they had come from. The only way they would go deeper into the desert then would be if they were Suna-nin. Would the ANBU allow the minister to continue on if his would-be assassins were from Suna? Likely not. Therefore, they would use one of the many routes that led back to the border with Konoha – _if_ they weren't planning that second ambush.

How likely was the enemy to attempt to complete their mission? Sakura knew that their numbers had been severely cut from their first failed attempt: ten alone had died to the minister's Oto guards and likely several more had died fighting the Chuunin. Furthermore, the ANBU had captured some alive. All of their plans could be spoiled by one loose tongue. Alternatively, they had wiped out **all** of the Chuunin; all three teams were KIA. Judging by how scarce the ANBU were being, it wasn't an assumption to say that their numbers were probably depleted as well. A large-enough force could try again, especially if they discover that the caravan is being split and the only two Jounin are leaving the minister.

Sakura could have struggled over the question for hours, but she didn't have that long. Quietly as she entered, she placed the map back where she found it and crawled back up out of the wagon. Her endemic memory was as much a blessing as ever, for she didn't have to spend time and effort copying Hisagi's map – it was all clear as day in her head. Every oasis in the desert had been mapped and, regardless of how long it took, Sakura would check each and every one for signs of the enemy. One thing in this desert was absolute: parties traveling light had to stay close to water. The caravan could carry its own supply, but a raiding party out on a mission had to follow predictable paths from watering hole to watering hole in order to keep their strength up for the mission ahead.

Her course decided, Sakura only had one further step to take. It was, naturally, the hardest one. She had spent those early morning moments forging an order from Kakashi to get her out of the camp and getting out of the camp meant fooling the ANBU. As she set her course for the main exit, Sakura forced her rapidly-beating heart to calm and watched her breathing.

Leaving by any other means was impossible. It was impossible for Sakura to sneak out of the camp without the ANBU knowing. She knew, even if she weren't injured, that nothing had a chance of getting past the notice of the elite nin watching the camp like hawks. If she even attempted it Sakura would instantly be under suspicion. They would report her antics to Kakashi and he'd instantly see through her plan.

No, the only way to sneak past the perfect sentinel was not to sneak at all. It had worked with the quartermaster, but could Sakura make it work with the ANBU?

The first test would be the regular guards standing near the south road. They gripped their weapons tighter when Sakura kept walking toward them. Sakura put on her most friendly face, but it wasn't calming them. After what they had been through, she supposed they were due to be on edge.

"I have a mission from my teacher," Sakura said, smoothly withdrawing the faked scroll from within her cloak.

The largest of the guards received and unrolled it. His second stood on his tip-toes to read over his shoulder.

"You're being sent out to look for water?" the first asked, clearly dubious. Searching for water was the most plausible thing Sakura could think up and even that was sure to be unusual for a single young girl. "Just you?"

"I'm not digging it out, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just supposed to scout the western oasis," Sakura pointed off to the desert in the direction of the closest oasis on Hisagi's map, "and see if there are any bandit stragglers there. I'm coming back for help if I find anything."

Having a map of the area helped more than just the coming search. The big guard looked to be something of an experienced caravaner and some of his unease left when he followed Sakura's finger. The oasis Sakura had pointed out was only half an hour away – close enough that she could get back quickly and without fear of getting lost.

The man might as well been a book for how Sakura was reading him. Every twitch of the face; every glance of the eye; even his breath – it all told Sakura what he was thinking. He was most likely a father, given his age and reluctance to let a young girl go off into the desert by herself. That nature was battling with his experience; every time he stole a look at the letter, then Sakura's Konoha headband, he telegraphed that he had seen ninja – genin – and knew that even the youngest could mostly take care of themselves. It looked like he was going to let her go, but Sakura had to be sure.

"I was wondering, though, if you guys could look out for me. I have a few flares in my pouch that I'll send up if I'm followed. You can get the camp ready to help, right? I might be coming back in a hurry."

That was it – that relieved smile. That's what Sakura wanted to see. Now the guard felt that she was relying on an adult and was wary of the danger. She had him completely.

"Sure thing, little lady. Me an' Soko will be here for the next three hours. We see some fireworks and we'll raise such a fuss that everyone in camp will know something bad's coming for us." The shorter guard, obviously the follower type, nodded his agreement as well.

One big, grateful smile later and Sakura was walking out of the protective ring of wagons without having raised suspicion. Sakura knew she should be proud at how easily she talked her way out of camp, but her stomach was doing too many flip-flops for her to feel proud. The two simple guards were nothing compared to what was coming up. Sakura's eyes slid back and forth across the dawning horizon, but so far she hadn't seen even a hint of the ANBU.

Scan to the left: nothing. To the right: nothing. To the left: nothing. Suddenly, as her eyes swiveled back, her vision was blocked. So abrupt was the appearance that Sakura leapt back to stop herself from toppling over. Before her, inexplicitly, was an ANBU. His clay cat mask was facing her dead-on, almost leering. Only a wild mop of black hair gave him any individuality.

Sakura swallowed. Hard. Any previous plans of keeping her head around the ANBU flew out the window for her heart was pounding so hard her bruised rips were starting to ache. It didn't take an ANBU's ears to detect that Sakura was thoroughly off-kilter.

"You're one of Kakashi's," the ANBU said, surprising Sakura further. "What are you doing outside of the camp?"

His tone wasn't demanding, but Sakura lost no time fishing out her scroll and shakily holding it out. Her fingers twitched when the ANBU's gloved hand brushed across them and she pulled her arm back like it was burned after the touch was gone.

He spent several moments reading the message, and then he turned it over and examined the paper itself.

Finally, he said, "I don't believe he would allow this." It wasn't a statement directed at Sakura, but instead simply an exclamation of disbelief.

Sakura forced herself to stop panting like a frightened cat. '_He can't tell it's fake_,' she told herself. With that thought as a mental sword, she cut through the anxiety that was threatening to swallow her whole.

"It…it was last-m-minute." '_Stop stuttering! You're ruining it!'_ "Hisagi-san wanted a ninja to go and I volunteered since I spent the most time at the front of the caravan. I know how to spot the road if I get lost and I've memorize all of the landmarks around camp." The words were coming out easier now as the lies spun themselves together in a nice, neat web. Sakura told herself this man was nothing to fear as long as her story was water-tight – it was her unnerving experience with Danzo's ANBU that had put this irrational fear into her. This man, with his earlier disbelief, wasn't as hard as them. If his mask was off Sakura told herself she could read him just as easily as the guard.

"I have signal flares if something goes wrong," Sakura continued, feeling more confident by the second. "If I run into anything I can—"

A gloved hand had cut the girl off mid-lie. The ANBU quietly rolled the scroll back up once Sakura had stopped talking and he tapped his free hand with it a few times, as if contemplating something.

"Like I was saying: I can't believe that the Kakashi I know would let one of his Genin go out like this. Really, I'm going to have to have some words with him one of these days." To Sakura's amazement, he held up the scroll to her. She reached out to take it back and he casually tossed it over her head.

Sakura whipped around to catch it, only to run into the firm chest of another ANBU. This time she did fall back onto the sand. The precious scroll was delicately balanced in the palm of his hand and his dog-faced mask peered down at the shocked Genin.

"Now's as good a time as any, I suppose," the first ANBU said.

To Sakura's horror, this new ANBU reached and pulled-up his mask, revealing the unmistakable half-face of her teacher. Kakashi let the mask rest atop his mop of silver hair and he unrolled the scroll.

"This is actually very nice work, Sakura," he said as casually as if he were evaluating a homework assignment. "You correctly guessed the heaviness of my wrist and remembered that I hold a pen further up because my fingers are spindly. All of the letters are consistent and flow naturally. Not the best copy, mind, but I'll give you points for doing this with your left hand. Unfortunately for your plan, I'm former ANBU – my handwriting has been analyzed down to how my fingerprints affect the curve of a letter and it's all on file."

Former ANBU. Her teacher, Hatake Kakashi, was once in the most exclusive and elite divisions in the entire village. He had been a member of the very organization that Sakura had struggled to stay away from for over two years. How much had he already guessed of today's business? How many of her little actions over the year he had been her teacher had raised alarm bells in his mind?

'_How much about __**me**__ does he know?'_

Sakura's mouth uselessly flopped open as Kakashi dragged her to her feet. She tried to twist away, but his grip was pure iron upon her good arm. "We're going to have a little talk, you and I, about what **absolute orders** mean in the context of Genin –that's you by the way– and team leader."

As Sakura pitifully squirmed, Kakashi turned to the other ANBU. "It looks like you'll be a man down until I get this girl stowed away for the trip. Can you manage?"

"Oh, certainly. I wonder, though, if you could do me one favor before you leave?"

Kakashi nodded, but quirked an eyebrow when the ANBU pointed off over his shoulder. When Kakashi turned, Sakura was dragged with him and she saw what was causing a problem.

Flanked by his two guards, the Oto Minister of Agriculture was striding out of the camp. Sakura had never seen the minister wearing such an angry expression before; the serene man had seemed unflappable all the times Sakura had encountered him. Now, though, his thin lips were draw into a tight line that trended downwards into a frown.

"What's the meaning of this?" the man demanded, looking poignantly at Kakashi's hold on Sakura. "This is the last thing I expected when I asked one of my guards to look after our young deliverer. Imagine my shock when I was told of this scene! Unhand her this instant!"

The minister reached out and tugged on Sakura's sleeve, easily pulling her away from her teacher's relaxed grip. He stood behind Sakura, holding onto her by both shoulders. Like in the medical tent, Sakura couldn't stop the shiver that went through her body; something about his touch, which sent a creeping cold dancing down her skin, completely unnerved the girl. The minister's grip became painful for a moment and a distinct feeling of vertigo hit Sakura, but it disappeared so abruptly that Sakura was half-convinced she had imagined it.

Kakashi let out a sigh and shrugged. "If your guards have time to look over a single Genin, then perhaps you could have volunteered them to help with scouting? We're a bit short-handed at the moment, if you can't tell."

"The deficiencies in your own arrangements aren't mine to fix, Konoha," the minister pointed out.

"That's true, but my student isn't your concern either. You seem to be taking an interest in that, nonetheless."

Throughout the exchange Sakura remained silent, but her mind was racing. When had the minister sent his guards to watch her? Why? Did he know more about her than he let on? Everything was unraveling and Sakura felt the slippery slope she had been on begin to crumble. Yet, if she didn't press on then Hinata didn't have a chance – every minute spent arguing here was another she lost out in the desert.

"You can't stop her from being punished for this," Kakashi was saying. "Out here, on the field, I could chalk it up to emotional distress and make it go away. If I have to put in a report that she robbed a client and forged official orders from her superior there will be a disciplinary hearing."

Sakura's blood ran cold. A disciplinary hearing with an official investigation was the last thing she needed, especially now. If professional interrogators got ahold of her the _entire _game would be up. The moment someone found that seal in the back of her throat everyone would know and she'd be swinging from a hangman's noose.

The minister gripped Sakura's shoulder when she tensed. He didn't move or whisper anything, but she recognized that she should stay silent.

"How is it that she can be punished for following my orders?"

Finally, Kakashi seemed confused. "Orders? You _ordered_ her to steal supplies from the caravan and try to sneak out of camp?"

"Well, I left her means of exit up to her discretion, but I authorized any actions she felt necessary, yes."

"For what ends? What could you possibly need a Genin to do for you that your guard or our ANBU couldn't?"

The minister drummed his fingers across Sakura's shoulder. "Plainly, I feel that other than this girl's individual actions my security detail from your village has failed. I decided to retain her for my business in Suna, as well as my escort back through your country in a week's time."

This was, of course, the first Sakura had heard of this arrangement. She was shocked that the minister would lie for her like that, though, and schooled her face into an expression of embarrassment. She had gotten caught at the last minute and failed her mission.

Kakashi was as incredulous as Sakura had ever seen him. He turned to the ANBU, who despite the mask was showing that he was just as in the dark through his body language. "You realize that you can't extend the original terms of the contract without speaking with the Hokage? Sakura is part of Team Seven and can't be contracted out herself until she's at least a Chuunin."

"I couldn't refuse," Sakura blurted. "Not only is he a foreign dignitary, he's also not satisfied with Konoha's work. His country could be an important client in the future, Kakashi-sensei. I told him I'm willing to do it. I didn't want to worry you, so I thought I could sneak out, but you caught me."

It was an incredible story and Sakura couldn't think it would work. However, Kakashi groaned and ran a hand through his wild mop. Sakura's heart began pounding again, but not due to fear. Her teacher was actually considering the explanation!

He kept looking at both Sakura and the minister as if he were trying to get one of them to crack. Sakura was biting the inside of her lip to keep her face perfectly natural and the minister…well, he was apparently a master of his own facilities. Sakura hadn't felt him so much as twitch once. His heartbeat, too, had remained low and steady.

The masked ANBU leaned in and evidently whispered something to Kakashi as the man turned around to face him fully. Their conversation was one Sakura couldn't hear, but it obviously made her teacher uncomfortable. Sakura was a bundle of nerves, but after a moment the minister patted her on the shoulder. "Everything will work out," the gesture seemed to say.

Indeed, the minister was right. Kakashi's shoulders slumped and he shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "Well, I'm overruled. Everyone but me says this could turn into some kind of diplomatic crisis. Sakura, I'm releasing you to the minister's custody under protest." He gave Sakura a flat look. "I can't stop you from going out after Hinata, but as your captain and teacher, I'm saying that it's impossible. You don't know where they went, you don't know the layout of the desert, and you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

Sakura almost told him everything she knew about the oasis system in the desert, but if Kakashi didn't already know she had snuck into Hisagi's wagon she wouldn't tell him. Likely, he was already much more suspicious of her than before and anything else would only add fuel to the fire.

And that was it. Remarkably, the Jounin disappeared in a whirl of sand without another word of warning. The ANBU did the same after a slight bow to the minister, leaving Sakura alone with Rice's Minister of Agriculture and his guards.

It was the minister himself who broke the silence. "Well, that was certainly a thrilling confrontation." His hands fell away from Sakura's shoulders and she turned to face him properly.

She bowed at the waist, as deeply as she could. "They never would have let me go and search for Hinata by myself. There's no way I can repay you for this."

"Well, I'm not completely altruistic. I do expect you to find me in Suna after looking for your friend." He smiled when Sakura's mouth fell open. "It should take us another four days to make it through the desert with the shape our convoy is in. I'll allow you another day, but you shall be there at my side at the end of the fifth day."

Before Sakura could say anything else, the man pulled off his gloves. There was a large ring on his ring finger, silver and inlayed with a serpent design. He twisted it off and dropped it into Sakura's hand. "Wear this at all times. It will be both a boon to your search and your way into Sunagakure. And, perhaps, we have something else for you?" At this he looked over his shoulder at one of his guards.

The shorter of the two, with bright red eyes, muttered something under his breath. Sakura was forced to catch a bag thrown at her face. It was the first time she'd seen anything approaching emotion from either of the two Oto-nin. With one more wary look at the ninja, Sakura slipped open the pouch; inside where three small round balls. Although Sakura had never used them before, she recognized a soldier pill when she saw one. Genin were barred from buying them, even if their salaries allowed, and only a Jounin teacher could allow for it. In addition to being dangerous, a batch cost more than the average pay for several C-Ranked missions.

"Little princess probably doesn't even know how to use one." Once again, the guard surprised Sakura; this time one had spoken up. It was a deep, coarse voice, but not all that masculine.

"Better a princess than a tall, fat troll of a woman," Sakura hissed. The pills were already secure in her utility belt – she could use them just fine.

There was a sharp laugh from the other guard. "You're lucky that eyes are still on us," the woman growled. And you," she turned to her companion, "shut the fuck up."

Sakura slipped the serpent ring on her thumb, the only of her digits able to accommodate it securely. As interesting as the guards were being, Sakura forced herself to ignore them. "Do you have any other orders, Minister?"

He waved his hand. "Nothing until you arrive in Suna. There we will have a great many things to speak about. Until then, keep yourself well and try not to strain that arm too much for the first day."

It was then Sakura realized that the dull pain she had grown so accustomed to had ceased. She looked, aghast, at the minister and yanked up her sleeve. The scars were still there, but weren't oozing blood anymore. The smaller ones were bright white around the stitches, which Sakura found slid right out. Where the medics had cut away flaps of skin to get at infection were still bright red and the stitches held fast, but from what Sakura could see the cuts themselves were closed.

She wanted to ask how he had done it, but Sakura knew the minister probably wouldn't answer. Instead, she just eased out the stitches she didn't need and was grateful for the reprieve.

"Oh, one thing further." The minister stepped forward and bent down so his lips were just beside Sakura's ear. "Your teacher, the one with the silver hair. _He knows._"

And thus was left Haruno Sakura: healed of body, broken of spirit, and keenly aware that the calm before the storm had irrevocably been broken forever.


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: What is this I don't even.**_

* * *

The Wind Country lived or died by one simple rule: find water or die in the sand. Those who live in Suna encourage water to form away from their village to deter attack. From the nearest oasis, the Village Hidden in the Sand was a two and a half day run across unforgiving terrain in the searing heat and freezing dark at a ninja's top speed. For the caravans that traveled from the border to the capital, the spattering of watering holes were both heaven and hell: water was salvation, but that salvation brought out the demons eager to prey on fat merchants.

For Sakura, the Wind Country was a puzzle and the pieces were securely locked inside her head. She had run for an hour straight, eager to put as much distance between her and Kakashi as she could. The minister's parting words still echoed in her skull: if Kakashi truly did know about her duplicity, he would be loath to let the girl out of his sight. He could very well have orders to eliminate her should she escape his watch. Thoughts of the cat-masked ANBU chased Sakura relentlessly across the desert. She had sailed past the Western Oasis, barely taking notice that it didn't look as if it had hosted recent visitors.

Even in flight, though, the girl's mind was bent toward a purpose. She had settled her conundrum: it was highly likely that the group that had ambushed the caravan would be looking to repeat their attack further on the road to Suna. Even though their casualties had been massive, they had decimated and split Konoha's forces. Furthermore, they had a hostage and a potential source of information. Hinata was limited in her usefulness, but they had grabbed her for some reason. At the very least she could tell them what the original force strength was, their provisions, information about the minister and his two bodyguards, and who the important members of the caravan were.

And, above all, they had a two day head-start to dig in and prepare.

When Sakura had hit the Western Oasis, she had traveled underground a ways to throw off any pursuit. She found her technique wanting due to the limited range of her right arm, but cutting through the sand was much simpler than packed dirt. Running atop the dunes in places and diving back into the sand feet-first in others allowed Sakura a fairly efficient method of locomotion. The pre-noon sun was already sweltering and traveling underground when the heat became too much helped Sakura keep up her stamina.

Now a bit calmer, Sakura had turned east and was shadowing the road the main caravan would be taking. There were several places along the way that Sakura thought an ambush would happen: the road split half-way to Suna into a valley system which Hisagi had marked as "trouble" and a wide expanse of desert without a single stopping point. The valley route had limited water, but it leisurely twisted and turned until it came out at the final stretch of road that led directly into Suna; the cut through the desert was less of an alternative route than a mad dash through the dunes that shaved a day off any journey to Suna – provided you carried your water with you.

Along the way, though, were several stops to check. Even if the enemy rushed for the road's fork it was impossible that they made it without stopping anywhere to resupply and rest. They would need water at the very least without their bandit comrades to carry supplies for them. A group of above twenty would need to stop regularly to rehydrate, especially after a tough fight.

The only question was where they would stop at. From Hisagi's map, Sakura had a clear picture of t web of wells and oases scattered throughout the desert. It was possible to hop from oasis to oasis along the main road without missing their supply window. In fact, the road itself was built along a string of stops. Motivated ninja could make the trip in little over a day. Ninja who had just sustained massive casualties, were facing an unknown number of ANBU, and weighed down with a ninja prisoner wouldn't possibly risk being that predictable.

_If I had to elude capture in this desert,_ Sakura thought as she leapt over the crest of a dune, _Ho would I stagger my travel? Would I risk going into the deep desert and looping around? _

These ninja had been clever enough to set up an ambush that nearly wiped the entire mission, so the chance they would waste the element of surprise by staying with the road was small. Sakura scrambled to the top of the next wave of dunes and looked out into the open desert. She couldn't see the next oasis, but the map said it was out there, somewhere, beyond the blistered horizon. Now was certainly not the time to start doubting her photographic memory. Sakura pulled out her goggles, one of her only possessions to survive both the attack and her time in medical, and set her face toward the sun and started at the dunes again, this time veering sharply into the desert. At full speed, the trip to the next oasis would take hours.

She was getting something productive done while she was traveling, though. Sakura was sticking to running along the top of the dunes as she scribbled in her little spy book. She hadn't reported on the mission so far, but given how intimate her work seemed to be with the Oto delegation Sakura didn't want to put it another moment. Now was also the first true bit of free time she had to report without running the risk of being discovered. If Kakashi already knew of her activities then she certainly couldn't let this book fall into his hands and give him physical evidence of her betrayal. A few words about the trip and the attack went first, but her standing orders were character summaries: Sasuke's talk with her went on for a full page and her time at the pits with Kakashi took up nearly as much. After a few extra notes about Naruto's mood, Sakura un-summoned the journal and tucked its scroll back into her pouch.

Today she didn't feel the usual guilt associated with actively betraying her comrades. For the first time her link to Oto had been useful; the minister needed her for some kind of mission in Suna, thus he'd leave her to her rescue mission. Kakashi hadn't done that. Maybe he didn't want her out of his sight because of what he _thought_ he knew, but letting her go out after Hinata was win-win for him: if Sakura succeeded, she would bring Hinata back; if she failed, she'd be dead and the village would be safer. She couldn't understand how his mind worked and it wasn't her job to. So long as she stayed one step ahead of him, and everyone else close to her, Sakura would come out on top. If Oto could hire bodyguards from every hidden village from Rice to Wind, then obviously they had the influence and money to protect their assets. Sakura, by getting back Hinata, would prove herself an asset to Konoha; by doing her best on whatever mission the minister was doing in Suna she would prove herself a continuing asset to Oto. It was a juggling act that would have, a year ago, made Sakura break out in a cold sweat; now it was a way of life – a new way of life that was allowing her to help her two new allies.

The sand was cool against Sakura's skin as she ducked back under. Her pace had slowed to write her report to make certain that her split attention wouldn't cause her to miss anything important. Now she making up for lost time. When the dunes were too high to leap over, she'd go through just as straight and direct as a thrown kunai. Her skill with the Moguragakure no Jutsu had improved to the point where she could cut through soft, yielding earth, like the Suna sand, as easily as water without losing much momentum. Sakura would be relying on this skill to get her close to her query when she found them, hoping that they wouldn't expect a Konoha-nin to use dotons so completely. How effective the technique would be plucking Hinata from a large group of enemy ninja was suspect, but it was the best Sakura had so far.

Sakura took a deep breath every time she leaped from dune to dune. Breathing exorcises were vital to her jutsu style. During the attack, it was lack of breath that put Sakura in harm's way. She had been forced to surface after planting the explosives, thus exposing herself to the blast to get a breath of air. Her limit, after months of conditioning, was two and a half minutes. She wanted to get to three before finding Hinata. She knew there was only so much training could do for twelve year-old lungs, but Sakura desperately wanted three full minutes of unchecked movement underground. When the dunes of the periphery desert shifted into rolling flat plains of sand, Sakura remained under the earth totally, pushing her speed and breathing to the limit, surfacing in great vaulting leaps for air and gulps of water before plunging back in feet-first.

Under the ground, Sakura's arms spread chakra out like massive paddles, sifting the sand into even finer bits with every stroke. Her feet pushed at the ground behind and her sweeping breaststrokes propelled her forward with the speed of a brisk run above ground. Within her personal space, Sakura was aware of every speck of gravel larger than a river stone. Her chakra, endowed with earth nature, lanced anything that could slow her progress and shattered it into its most basic form; after so much practice, it was nigh-automatic. Sakura's actual attention focused on the desert surface two feet over her head. Anything that wasn't stone she'd stop and examine, looking for signs of a hasty retreat. So far she'd only found bits of iron from old wagon hubcaps or animal bones, but Sakura kept at it until she felt the ground grow cooler from the oasis.

Unlike the desert, the soil around the oasis teemed with roots and actual sediment – not unlike the rough soil of the Fire Nation. Sakura slowed her frantic pace and picked her way through palm roots as unobtrusively as possible; she hadn't seen anyone at the watering hole on her last trip topside, but now was not the time to take chances. Sakura picked her way through the web of palm roots, cutting them when she couldn't get through but making sure not to disturb the topsoil. When she found a taproot, she followed it up.

Sakura's head rose from the ground like it was breaking the surface of a placid lake, though only up to her eyes. She had luckily popped up right under a half dozen fallen palms, their wide bodies concealing the girl's vantage point.

The oasis was deserted. Sakura heard only the sound of wind rattling the palms above her and the slight trickle of flowing water. Her head gently broke the surface of earth and she pulled away her vegetative cover. Slowly, she kicked up out of the ground and took a good look around. There was a large pool of precious water flowing from an underground spring in the middle of the greenery once every few moments bubbles broke the surface from its deep source. There were dozens of palm trees growing in a ring around the water with ferns and long-blade grass peppering the ground.

Sakura went to work looking for indicators that humans had been through recently. She quickly found deep ruts in the damp soil that indicated wagons had been through, but the grass in them had already rebounded back up, indicating that they were a few days old. There was a soot pile beside the water, but it too hadn't been made recently.

Crescent hoof marks were fresher. A large body of shoed horses, upwards of a hundred, had lingered here. Tents and cook fires had been set out where the desert met the oasis, away from the vegetation. In all likelihood this was a stop for part of the bandit hoard that had attacked the caravan.

Something shiny on the bark of a palm caught Sakura's attention as was examining a burnt-out cook fire. She gingerly walked over, mindful of traps, and found that a tree on the edge of the oasis had a number of long needles jutting out of it. Sakura pulled one free; it was, if Sakura was any judge of metalwork, made of high-quality iron – similar to the kind Konoha used in its kunai and shuriken. Sakura had never seen a ninja use needles as weapons, but they were driven into the wood fairly deep and she could think of no other reason for them to be so placed. For sure a skilled eye and hand would be required to use such projectiles and a needle-tossing bandit was an image Sakura's mid balked at. The ninja had been coordinating with their distraction before the attack, not using them as a screen like Sakura had thought. What did that mean for her search, though?

"There are too many traces of activity here," Sakura observed, breaking the silence with her mutter. She could see the bandit camp in her mind's eye just – the ninja mingled with their hired swords, perhaps sharing fires or exchanging war stories. Such a setup could work before their prey had an idea that a far more dangerous hunter was lurking in the sand than usual. After everything fell apart, though, would just the ninja risk returning? Sakura knew she had hit the answer with her first reaction: they would not. It was too easy to see what had gone on here to come back. They had skipped this oasis altogether and had went on to a new one.

Sakura looked over at the oasis waters, the few exotic desert animals drinking from it now that they thought she had moved on, and it reinforced her conclusion. If ninja had been here in the midst of a retreat, they would have surely poisoned the water to delay pursuers. She topped off her skins with fresh water and mentally skipped the next few stopping points. If she had been fleeing, she would have completely broken a typical search radius and risked dehydration to get to a safe stopping point. There were, according to Hisagi's map, multiple stopping points further into the desert, but only a handful that would give an enemy time to both rest and still be in range of the caravan to set a fresh ambush. It was likely that they were also planning blind – they wouldn't risk losing a scout to alert ANBU that already knew their tactics.

It could be a blessing or a curse that they probably didn't know the caravan had split. They would be more cautious thinking that whatever force Konoha had left was continuing on, but they also wouldn't be expecting a single agent. Sakura knew that the larger the force you were preparing for the larger the holes in security, especially if you were in a rush. They would trap the desert for miles out if they expected a war party to come down the main road; up close, their preparations would be overlooked due to the prep time a wide screen would demand. All Sakura had to do was pick her way past the outlying traps and avoid detection long enough to get Hinata.

'_Yeah, it'll be just that easy,'_ Sakura sardonically thought. It was nothing but wishful thinking that she could even get within visual range of wherever the ninja were at. Wishful thinking was all the girl had to go on at the moment, though.

Sakura had to put herself on water rations since any natural watering holes would likely be poisoned from this point onward. She ate some strips of dry meat, though not enough to make herself full. In the desert heat traveling on a full stomach would mean sickness and she couldn't afford to be off her game. The small pouch of soldier pills rattled against each other in her utility belt. From what she knew, a soldier pill gave a momentary burst of chakra. Sakura didn't know how long it would last, but it was rumored to give a regular soldier enough vigor to fight for three days and nights. What that translated to with a ninja's metabolism was anyone's guess, though.

The next oasis…the next oasis and she'd use one. That's what Sakura decided to do. If she wasted a pill now, before even meeting the enemy, it would be devastating. Her regular reserves of water and food would have to do until she hit her target.

It was another three hours of running and burrowing before Sakura saw a tall palm in the distance. Even dressed and traveling like she was, Sakura was beginning to feel the desert heat take its toll on her body. There was no denying that she was tired and needed a break.

Time for a break, though, was something Sakura didn't have. She had skipped three different stopping points to make a mad dash to this, the oasis at the farthest southwest of her search radius. From here she'd follow the outlying ring of oases until she arrived at the canyon that would lead her to Suna and, hopefully, the ambush.

Mirroring her approach to the previous oasis, Sakura dove under the sand. She would use the Moguragakure to get close, find a good place to surface, and then see if anyone was still milling around.

This oasis was smaller than the last. It had barely a dozen palms scattered around a small pool of water that Sakura could feel through the damp topsoil. Even if she couldn't drink the water Sakura was glad it was there: the coolness of the earth eased the heat of her skin from the sun. She lingered underground as long as her lungs would allow it and stretched out her chakra to its limit to probe the sand above for any sign of movement. When she didn't feel any, Sakura surfaced.

There was death in the air – Sakura could smell it the second her nose exited the soil. She pulled one of her red soldier pills from her pouch and popped it into her mouth, letting it settle in her jaw. Truthfully, she didn't know if she should break the hard shell or not before swallowing, but it couldn't hurt. She bit down hard on the pill and gulped down the bitter, powdery remains.

Her senses instantly sharpened. What Sakura had thought was a horrible odor became an overpowering stench that triggered her gag reflex. As her body settled, Sakura searched for the smell's source. She stalked low to the ground through the underbrush, not needing to search very long for so obvious a rot: littered about the oasis reservoir itself were several bodies.

The corpses in the water had already started to bloat, their skin puffing out and straining against their clothes and slothing where it wasn't covered. Two men were laying in the grass beside the pool, also deceased. The sun had dried their skin out to where it was sunken on their bones. Sakura had seen pictures in textbooks describing the decay of corpses, but this was the first time she had seen one up-close.

They were ninja. Sakura recognized the green military vests that were popular among every major village. There were variations of course, but the style wasn't mimicked by any standard army. The sun reflected off their headbands, the ones Sakura could see, and most had kunai or shuriken sticking out of them. Sakura held her nose and approached to check the insignia she knew would be etched on the headbands. The bodies in the water were floating back-up, but the ones on the ground were easy to get to. The nearest one was laying on its side and Sakura stepped closer to turn it face-up with her foot. Her sandal caught the body's shoulder and she pushed, intending to tip it over.

A small _click_ told Sakura she had made a mistake.

Pure soldier pill-fueled adrenaline saved Sakura's life as her legs pushed her backwards before her conscious mind recognized the body was booby-trapped. She had disturbed an explosive that was set to a pressure switch and it had blown through the body. Sakura was up in the air when it exploded and was only thrown into the trunk of a tree a dozen feet back – the body that she had wanted to examine was destroyed from the waist-up. Stunned, the Genin used the spiny bark of the palm to pull herself back to her feet.

She looked to the red-splattered crater that had once been a man's corpse and emptied her stomach. After a few dry heaves, she gulped half of her water skin to get the taste of bile out of her mouth and frantically tried to wash the worst of the gore off her body. Her training was telling her to get rid of the smell, but right now she was running on the instincts of a shocked twelve year-old. When a piece of intestine flopped down from her hair, Sakura screamed and ripped off her pilfered cloak to scrub furiously at her scalp with it which only dislodged more gore.

Sakura ran – away from the horrific sight that had burned into her mind; away from the putrid water of the oasis she couldn't wash with; away from the unseen deathtraps that had almost claimed her life. She hit the sand of the open desert and dove into it, sinking a few feet and trashing violently in the sand to scourge the putrid innards that were lurking in her hair and clothes. How long she stayed under was impossible to gauge, but when Sakura finally came out of her shock she hacked up a mouthful of sand.

Her nostrils flared, trying to pick up on even the slightest smell of rot. The only thing going through her mind was overpowering disgust. The sand, as gritty and horrible as it was sticking to her sweat-soaked skin and clothes, was a welcome alternative to the blood and bits of corpse that she was caked in. Forgetting her rationing, Sakura upended the remainder of her first skin of water and the full second on her arms, legs, and head to wash off the splatter. She didn't care how much she was gutting her effectiveness in the desert – her mind wouldn't let her move until she was clean. The places on her body where she could feel the stickiness of blood not her own were drenched and scrubbed with sand until her skin cracked and welted. Her hair, which she usually took so much pride in, was scrubbed in the sand so much it took on the gritty khaki color of the desert.

When Sakura finally came to her senses she was on all fours, rubbing her hair so hard in the sand that it had created a rut. She stopped and flopped to the ground, only just managing to roll herself over.

Still in a daze, the girl ran a hand through her hair, smiling stupidly when it only came out with muddy sand stuck to it and not guts. Specks of blood trickled onto her cheek, but they came from the weeping stich holes on her arm which had reopened during her trashing. Sakura clumsily wiped at them with her left hand, smearing blood across her cheek.

Her head was still filled throbbing like it was filled cotton, but something inside was screaming to get out of the sun. She stood, wobbling like a drunk on her feet, and trudged back towards the oasis from hell. She didn't make it to the water – she didn't _want_ to make it to the water – but there were no bodies along the edge. Her foot hit a root and she stumbled, falling into the grass. It was more comfortable than the sand and there was shade from a large palm tree.

Sakura tried to get her nerves to settle. She had been _wearing_ pieces of another human. Not even the burn pits had been that bad. A burning corpse in a hole was a lot different than a corpse rigged to explode.

Sitting there in the hot sun, blood on her face and bits of rotting ninja on her, Sakura realized she wished she was back at the caravan. Kakashi's talk of war and death seemed like trite nonsense at the time, but now it ringed true – she wasn't ready for this. Even if he thought she was a spy Sakura would have gladly ran back if she could. She had never considered herself a coward, especially not after surviving two years of her double life, but right now she wanted to be back at home in her bed and waking up from this nightmare.

But if she did would the minister report back to Oto that she had disregarded an order? Sakura fingered the silver ring he had given her; its cool metal reminded Sakura of the reward he had given her and his promise that it would be a boon so long as she kept it on. Whether it was for good service in Konoha or her actions during the raid Sakura didn't know – nor did she care. He had let her come out here for her own personal reasons and put himself on the line for it. If the Hokage didn't agree with his reasoning for retaining her further it could be his hide on the line as much as hers.

And then there was the reason for coming out here in the first place: Hinata was still in this desert somewhere. Whoever was holding her was a member of whatever village those dead men in the oasis were from. The only person that cared enough to break the rules and go out after her was Sakura. Other than her, Hinata didn't have anyone.

Suddenly her problems seemed infinitely smaller. Two people that had believed in her abilities were riding on her actions and she was eager to run back to her teacher. A lesson from her academy days, before they had been ruined, suddenly popped into her head: the 25th saying of the shinobi.

The words sprang to Sakura's lips. "No matter what situation a shinobi must keep emotions on the inside. You must make the mission your top priority and you must possess a heart that never shows tears." She had learned it along with hundreds of other sayings throughout the years, but the words had no meaning at the time. Now the girl clung to them. She wouldn't desert either of her missions. She would find Hinata and get back to Suna to help the minister or she'd die trying.

Sakura started for the now-placid pool of water slowly, but with a new determination in her eyes. She wouldn't be kicking over any corpses again – she couldn't afford to be that stupid anymore. The one remaining body not in the water had been disturbed by the explosion and was laying face-down. He was wearing a skin-tight outfit with a flak vest on over it, but she couldn't see any emblems so long as he was situated like that.

No mistakes this time. Sakura formed a simple goat seal and focused a burst of chakra into her feet.

"Doton: Earth Flow Spears!" The genin sent a ripple through the soil and made the ground under the corpse shoot upwards in a large spike. It rose a few feet under the dead man's shoulder, tipping him until he rolled onto his back. Sakura was still disgusted by the sight and smell of the corpse, but so long as she didn't stare at the rot too long her skin didn't crawl quite so much.

The glint of worn steel was Sakura's reward. Even if his headband hadn't shown he was from Hidden Rain the trashed rebreather hanging out the remains of his mouth would have. His vest pockets were full as well, but she didn't dare go through them. Even her own weapons pouch was sealed against entry and she was just a genin – this man, either a chuunin or a jounin, would have had something special waiting on any hand other than his own opening them.

There was little doubt how he died. Imbedded in his neck and chest were more of the needles Sakura had found at the first oasis along with an assortment of other nin tools. A glance at the bodies floating in the oasis showed that they expired due to the same metal affliction. Six corpses in all, each killed in the same violent fashion.

Something was going on that Sakura didn't account for. A schism in the ambush team? A personal disagreement gone horribly wrong? Perhaps even sabotage? Sakura didn't know what could make the Rain-nin turn on each other, but she was going to capitalize on it. She had enough water for one nonstop trip to the next oasis, but after that she'd run out. All of her hopes rested on finding the next water source uncontaminated.

And she had to hurry. Six dead ninja was an enormous dip in the manpower pool. If more died, then whoever led the war party might call off the mission and make a break north for the border. Hinata would be gone too far for Sakura to chase her down before the minister's deadline.

She decided to leave her cloak at the oasis. There was no way she was putting that back on even though the sun was pitiless. _'Besides, the smell would alert anyone down wind that I was coming,'_ she rationalized.

What kept Sakura from charging out of the oasis full of her new-found vim and vigor was the pain her body was wracked with now that she was down from her adrenaline high. The franticness in the desert had popped a stitch in her arm and it was weeping blood. She bandaged it as best she could and got the bleeding stopped, but it throbbed each time the skin around the broken stitch stretched. It was her ribs, though, that worried her the most. The bruising was further spread than it had been and her breathing problem was back again.

Sakura looked up at the desert sun through the trees. It was just after two she figured by its position. With her injuries and the desert working against her how far could she get before dropping of exhaustion? Her chest was hurting so much that digging through the desert was sure to be impossible. And, if she caught up with the enemy at the next oasis in this condition could she take Hinata from them?

All signs pointed to the negative. Sakura still felt uneasy from her brush with death earlier and her nerves were already shot from the confrontation with Kakashi and the revelation that he was suspicious of her. If she had to fight it would be a horribly short one.

It was time for a break. As much as she hated it, Sakura knew she couldn't go on until her chest settled down and that would take rest. The oasis, if not unsettling and disgusting, was the safest place nearby. Sakura went as far away from the bodies as she could and made herself a sunken cot in the earth and filled it with leaf litter and grass. Thus settled, she pulled out the bottle of morphine and accompanying needle she had taken from the medical tent. She had watched the medics administer enough to the people there to give herself a sufficient dosage to numb her pain. Between that and her own mental exhaustion, Sakura was soon lulled into a fitful sleep for a few scant hours of rest.


	11. Chapter 11

The concoction of morphine and the soldier pill put Sakura into a dreamless sleep. She was vaguely aware of how much tossing and turning she had done during the night and the feeling of extreme discomfort, but there were no frightening images chasing memory when she woke.

It was pitch black. Sakura had rolled her back against the wall of her dug-out bedding and was covered by three of the palms she had tossed down with her. She stretched out her sternum and was relieved that the pain wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. Sakura took the time to sit up and wrap her chest tight with bandages, but she felt that she could travel on it.

Sakura didn't know what time it was as she crawled out into the oasis. Everything was as she had left it and there were no signs of recent visitors other than the scorpions that had come to feed on the bodies during the night. They represented a unique bounty to the girl in the form of their venom. As a test of her arm, Sakura pulled a shuriken and cut the tail off a large one at over ten yards. The stiches still in gave a prick of pain when they were stretched, but otherwise she was in fighting shape. She picked a few more scorpions off and pulled out one of the needles she had taken from the first oasis to lance the venom sacs with.

As she coated her supply of shuriken and kunai with venom Sakura rechecked her supplies. Likely she would meet with her enemy at the next oasis and there would be a fight. She had a full complement of kunai and shuriken as well as two soldier pills – to her surprise, she could feel the tell-tale pump of the first one still in her system. It wasn't as fresh as it had been, but now that the haze of sleep was lifted Sakura still found her senses sharp. If the other two worked just as well then she had a fighting chance at making it out of this mission alive and successful.

Before she left, Sakura eliminated all traces of her stop, filling in her temporary bed and dumping the scorpion remains in the water. At the edge of the pool, with the moonlight to help, Sakura saw glimmers in the water under the floating bodies – wires likely tied to sunken trap mechanisms anchored to the floaters. If she had tried to fish one out the result would have been deadly. Either Rain-nin were expert trappers or whoever had killed these men was. Either way, it was going to be a hairy rescue.

Sakura avoided the pool from then on. She did her best to erase her footprints from the ground, but it was hard to see them by the moonlight. Hopefully she would be long gone before anyone came across this horrible place.

The desert at night was much different than the day. A crisp cold cut at Sakura as she ran across the dunes and the loss of her cloak hurt as much now as it would during the day. Some of her worst memories were the cold winter nights in Konoha where she had been forced to dig through garbage for Kabuto in the snow. There, warm safety was waiting on her when she found what the spy wanted in the form of a warm bed and a worried mother. Here there was no such thing. What was waiting on her in that murky darkness was an unknown enemy.

Yet, there was a beauty here that couldn't be found in Konoha. The moonlight gave the sand a silvery tint that glittered like a sparkler when Sakura's feet disturbed it. Her ring, the only piece of metal Sakura hadn't taken care to cover up so that it didn't glint and give away her position, caught the moon once in a while to shimmer as well. She hadn't studied it very closely given her rush, but now time seemed to stretch like a band, growing longer every step Sakura took in the direction of the last oasis. What time other than now would she certainly have?

It was in the simple masculine style that men seemed to like – a strong, thick band of polished silver with a thin black set in the top. Inset in the onyx was the design of a coiled snake. Sakura wasn't a jewelry expert but she knew that this much precious metal wasn't cheap. It was the ring of a noble denoting his house, most likely. Many of the oldest families used simple, easy-to-recognized symbols as their mark. It was pretty, but otherwise Sakura didn't see the usefulness in her keeping it on like the minister had insisted. He had said it would get her into Suna and it probably would tell the guards that she was a member of his entourage, but how it would be a "boon" for her mission was anyone's guess.

Sakura didn't think of taking it off, though. As far as she was concerned the ring was a part of her until the minister told her to take it off – the minister had helped her far too much for her to doubt him now.

The sand and her jewelry weren't the only thing to be seen in the moonlight, though. Sakura had, for the last few minutes, begun seeing odd spots in the desert: the top of one dune had its pristine natural form ruined by a deep trough at its crest where something heavy had fallen and rolled, at the bottom of the same dune was a wide depression in the sand, and now she was starting to see impression in the sand that could have come from heavy footfall hours before. Sakura didn't know enough about desert tracking to make informed guesses about some of the things she saw, but she was on edge.

Suddenly the desert flattened at the foot of a massive dune. Sakura cleared the top in her usual vaulting fashion, but rather than sand at the end of her drop there was a sea of glitter.

Needles. Thousands of needles.

Sakura was at the top of her jump before she recognized the danger she was in. Frantically, she looked for a safe spot to angle her landing and recognized a radial pattern to the field. If she could land in between a band there was a chance to avoid getting impaled. Sakura twisted midair to land feet-first and prepared. She poured chakra into her joints to absorb the impact, but the lingering effects of the soldier pill gave her more chakra than she was used to handling. She knew that a soldier pill gave a burst of chakra, had felt it, but the amount that was surging through her legs now was shocking. In addition to her feet and joints, it filled her muscles. Sakura hit the sand didn't roll or dip – she simply landed in a crouch and absorbed the entire impact. Her feet had landed exactly where she wanted them to go and she had missed every single needle.

The ordeal was over so quickly and effortlessly that Sakura scarcely believed it. She ran her shaking fingers over her right calf muscle and realized it didn't have any give.

"This is a step beyond scrappy, mom," she whispered, remembering her mother's favorite description of her daughter. She had felt Sasuke's arm once and it felt like this – like something was straining right under the skin waiting to break out.

Still amazed, Sakura looked out at trap she had just miraculously avoided. There were thousands, tens of thousands, of needles sticking up out of the ground. How had they known someone would have jumped over the dunes rather than walked? And why was the field so big?

Sakura spotted something in the distance that poured ice water over her thumping heart: a body. She could barely see in the darkness, but there was a lump a dozen feet away lying in the sand. Shockingly, she could see the glint of metal rising out of the corpse's _back _and the needles weren't long enough to go all the way through a body.

Thoughts began to buzz through Sakura's head as she worked through this new evidence. What did it mean? Could there have been another fight in the group? What, then, was this massive field of needles? The others had been killed by a handful of needles each at the last oasis. The field was nearly two hundred feet across, Sakura estimated, and in nearly a perfect circle. The radial pattern she had noticed put the outer band of needles far apart while near the center they were almost indiscernible.

Could it have been an explosive trap on a scale much larger than the last? Sakura had little experience with devices like that, but she knew they were popular with some ninja. If it had been a booby-trap then it had taken out the wrong person: the body she had spotted earlier was one of a Rain-nin.

It wasn't a trap, then. This was an attack. Now Sakura's infighting idea was much more plausible. Perhaps the company was moving too fast or too slow for some of the men or not enough supplies - the reason didn't really matter. What mattered was that tempers had erupted at the end of the forced march to the edge oasis. Men had died. The grumbling had stopped for a time, but another long march made the demoralized ninja swarthy.

Sakura looked back behind her at the dunes she had just crossed. A fight had erupted there as well as they ran – that's why all the signs of fighting were spaced far apart as if it had been on the run. The leader had probably been chased for miles over the dunes until he hit the flatter expanse close to the next oasis.

The wind shifted and Sakura detected the slightest hint of rot. She couldn't see because of the darkness, but there were bodies out here in the sand. Whoever had been chased hadn't been on the defense for very long. This needle attack was something he couldn't use in the dunes but out here it covered an enormous area and had probably caught more than a few of his pursuers by surprise. Sakura could imagine someone running out of the dunes and hitting this flat land – the perfect place to turn the tables with a massive area rain of needles.

"How did he do it, though?" Sakura wondered. The needles were, she had observed earlier, in a radial pattern – a giant circle with bands of needles that grew further apart the farther from center they got. No one could throw this many needles that accurately.

She stepped lightly through the field. At the absolute center was a clear spot that she could stand in: a perfect circle of safety within a larger circle of certain death. This was the center of the jutsu and Sakura still had no thoughts on how it could work. There was a good bit of blood on the sand, though.

Whoever had escaped from here was injured. Had their pursuers caught up to him after this last-ditch attack and finished them off further away or had it worked and given them a clear escape? Sakura knew that the last oasis before the canyon was only around a mile away from her current position. With the bodies being fresher than those at the last oasis, perhaps her search would end at the next one? It certainly wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility!

Sakura carefully picked her way through the field of needles and started back on-course for the canyon. Hisagi's map was still crystal clear in the girl's mind and she knew it would take her until dawn to reach it. Already strings of light were bursting over the distant horizon, hoisting the sun higher and higher. Soon Sakura would be back in the roasting hell of mid-morning Wind Country.

She had to move swiftly. Her tense legs found themselves with an outlet as Sakura pushed them far harder than she had on the dunes. The oasis had to be reached before dawn. There was a real possibility that the chase would end either there or at the canyon mouth because her query became sloppy after two days of no pursuit. They had dealt with their own companions, taken wounds, and had a prisoner in-tow – they would take rest whenever they found it and the canyon was probably a poor place to make camp.

As she ran, Sakura looked over what supplies were left. She still had, of course, all of her ninja tools. Medical supplies were strained, though. She had used some of the morphine and over half the bandages were tied around her ribs. The precious bag holding her two remaining soldier pills was tucked in her utility belt.

It was enough for Sakura to like her chances if it came to a fight. If her injuries were less troublesome than her opponent's then she'd engage him directly. Her arm felt much better after her break and it moved without protest now; all of the stitch holes that had been bleeding had closed back up. She threw an experimental jab and found that it responded splendidly. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't be tested in real combat.

Before Sakura realized it, she was within visual range of the oasis. It was a pitiful thing with only a half dozen trees rising out of the desert. More ominously, less than half a mile further from the greenery was the lip of the canyon that shattered the desert and ran for hundreds of miles like a great river delta.

Sakura skidded to a halt well before she was within shouting distance of the oasis. She had to plan this _just_ right if she wanted to grab Hinata and run. Despite the fighting she was facing an unknown number of enemies in unfamiliar territory. She knew that they were Rain-nin and that one of them had a mind for traps, but other than that Sakura was in the dark. Their injuries were unknown, their strengths were unknown, and whatever jutsu they used was guesswork.

'_One of their techniques uses an enormous amount of needles over a large area,'_ Sakura reminded herself. If that wasn't a one-off attack, it could cover the entire oasis. She felt at the dirt under her sandals: pure rock. It was possible for her level of Moguragakure to dig through this, but not with the swiftness that the desert sand allowed. Without it, though, her plan was defunct. Her chakra broke into the rock through her feet and she felt its structure shifting to suit her needs. The stone turned into a soup of pebbles and sand that she had pulverized and in a little over ten seconds she had a slot in the ground that she sank into over her head.

The going was slower than Sakura had become accustomed. Even in Konoha the soil was easy to breakdown and travel through, but here it was a battle. Her speed was reduced to that of a brisk walk as she traveled around the oasis in a semi-circle. She would approach from the canyon side of the oasis and maybe go around traps set on the side facing the desert as an attack that direction was still plausible.

Sakura went deeper until she could only just sense what was going on directly above her head. She would come in low and silent until she found Hinata. One good thing about all the rock, though, was that the girl had no problem breathing – there were enough natural cracks and breaks that it was simple to get a full breath every few feet.

The soil of this oasis was much harder than that of the others. Sakura guessed it was because of the proximity to the canyon and it accounted for the scarcity of large trees. The map had said that this was an older oasis that didn't have free-flowing water; instead, travelers had built a well that ran deep down to the water table and brought up reliable buckets of the life-giving liquid for caravans braving the long, dry trip through the canyon. Sakura's plan was realized as she felt the first block of the well in front of her. She turned her energy downwards, following the shaped stones all the way to the bottom where there was standing water.

She carved out a large cavern next to the well shaft. Her chakra shaped the rock above so that it wouldn't cave in and the ceiling was high enough that the genin could sit up. Her fingers sought out the remaining two soldier pills in her belt and she crunched one to give herself a fresh burst of chakra. It wasn't nearly as much of a boost as the first one had been, but there was enough there for Sakura to regain the stamina she had lost with her careful excavation.

Now it was time for the delicate work. Sakura put her hand flat on a large brick, sending her chakra into it and feeling out its composition. These had likely been quarried in the limestone canyon and it was a simple thing for the girl to cut the mortar around five or six bricks so that they slid right out with a tug of chakra. Light spilled into Sakura's rat hole and she risked a look up the well. All she could see was a circle of dim sunlight thirty feet above.

It was a simple thing to climb up the well – it was another thing entirely to do it silently. Sakura was careful not to touch any loose or crumbling bricks to give herself away. It took fifteen minutes to make it to the top and now the sky was completely illuminated in the morning light. She listened at the lip of the well for a few moments, not hearing a single sound. Carefully, she peeked over the rim.

Sakura's heart leaped into her throat – there were fresh signs of habitation everywhere. A small cook fire had been covered with dirt, but embers were still glowing from a night of cooking. Beside the well were seven water skins, most likely taken from the bodies of the dead Rain-nin in the desert. Beside the fire was a leaf litter that had been purposefully laid down to approximate a single bed and pillow; beside that were several strips of bloodied cloth – makeshift bandages.

And, laying at the edge of the camp, was a small black-haired girl with her back to the well. Her hands and feet were bound by cord, but her captor had let Hinata keep her cloak and shoes for the forced march. She was too far away for Sakura to see if she had any injuries, but there was no doubt that it was the missing Hyuuga.

There was no way to get Hinata's attention and remain hidden. Sakura didn't see the girl's captor anywhere so there was no risking it. Slowly, Sakura backed down the well and braced herself by her legs. The bricks under her hands gave way to the girl and she reached into the ground all the way up to her shoulder. After a few moments she brought her arm back, clutching one of the water skins. This one Sakura clasped to her belt and the others she buried deep behind the well's rocks.

Now she had doubled her water and eliminated her opponent's supply. If it came to a chase Sakura would have the advantage. It was time to get Hinata and escape, trusting her preparations to give them the edge they needed to reach Suna.

Sakura dropped a few feet further down the well and focused chakra along the entire front of her body and slipped into the wall. She solidified the sand behind her so only a little bit trickled down into the well water where it made a few quiet splashes. Rushing through this much gravel and rock was impossible and it took another five minutes to reach Hinata's position. Hopefully she could grab the girl and be gone before the Rain-nin figured out what happened. She could sense Hinata four or five feet directly above her, so Sakura made another reinforced hollow in the ground to prepare. They could rest there for a few minutes and Hinata could get water before making a slow crawl out of the oasis.

No one else was around. Excellent. Sakura broke the roof of her enclosure in roughly the same shape of Hinata and started digging upwards. The ground crumbled when there was only a few inches left and Sakura caught the girl as she fell.

Something was wrong. The smell of death that had dogged Sakura from the outset of the trip returned full-force. Light from the sun above spilled into the hole and Sakura found herself staring into Hinata's empty eye sockets. Her eyes had been scooped out like ice cream and now only maggots stared out at the near-catatonic girl.

Sakura's mouth opened in a silent scream as she dropped the corpse down into the deepest part of the hole. In that murky darkness a spark of light lit up and the horrified genin leapt out of ground a moment before the explosion tag triggered under Hinata's coat.

The oasis shuddered and the ground lifted up in a great earthen column due to the force of the explosion in that confined space.

"Nice reflexes."

Sitting on the edge of the well was a large Rain-nin man. His face was covered by a rebreather, but he had a black goatee and shoulder-length hair. He had on a green-blue flak jacket and an umbrella was leaning on the stones beside him.

Sakura only noticed those things unconsciously. Her waking mind was flush with the horror that her friend had just blown up in front of her. She was kneeling in the sand, staring at her trembling hands.

She heard the scrape of the umbrella being lifted off the well. "I thought we had missed one of the chuunin, but it was really a kid. Can't believe you made it past the desert and the traps."

"Hinata…she…all of this for nothing…"

The Rain-nin tilted his head. "Shock, huh? No matter." He heaved his umbrella up over his shoulder. "Don't worry your pretty little head about this anymore – I'll take care of everything."

Sakura turned and made a seal. The chuunin stopped mid-swing.

A massive spike of stone had just knocked away his umbrella. The metal shaft was bent in the center and it twirled in the air like a boomerang, landing with a thump out in the sands beyond the oasis.

Sakura launched herself at the Rain-nin with a guttural scream that ripped from her throat like an engine roaring to life for the first time. Her shoulder caught the surprised man in the stomach, bowling them both over. The Rain-nin cursed and tried to pry the girl off of him, but Sakura's fists were catching him too many times in the face for him to mount an effective defense.

"Everything's gone to hell!" Sakura ranted, scratching and punching at the chuunin. "You killed her! The only friend I've had in years and you murdered her!" Her thumbnail got stuck in the man's face as she raked him – she didn't stop hitting. The blood and pain only enraged her further. "She trusted me to take care of her! It was my mission!"

The chuunin got his knee between Sakura and his chest and he pushed hard. She tumbled head over foot through the underbrush and came to rest near the smoldering campfire.

"I take it back: you didn't get past the desert; it just spit you out because you were too difficult a meal," the Rain-nin rasped as he pulled Sakura's fingernail out of his cheek. His hand dipped into his vest and came out with a long needle between each finger.

A kunai slid out of Sakura's pouch, but she couldn't react fast enough to block the needles even if she were of a rational mind. Needles skewered multiple parts of her body and she fell still even though the pain was excruciating. Her fingers snapped open involuntarily, spilling the kunai to the ground.

The chuunin picked it up once he had stepped over to the girl. He was tall – almost as tall as Kakashi was – and well-built. There were new bandages on his arms and shoulders, though, which were now tinged red from the short fight.

Even though she was paralyzed, Sakura's body twitched as she strained to move. She couldn't even bite him when the Rain-nin leaned down and took her water skins, tying them to his belt.

"Now, don't you look like a cute little kunoichi? If you play your cards right, you can die like one." His voice came out warbled through the rebreather, but there was enough sarcasm in it to make Sakura tremble with rage. "Tell me what you did with my water is and I'll make it quick." He pulled one of the needles out of Sakura's chest and she found her jaw working again.

"As quick as you made it for Hinata?" she spat.

"Well, the eyes had to be extracted while she was alive, so a lot quicker than that."

Tears were leaking out of Sakura's eyes as she grit her teeth. Whether they were for Hinata or out of sheer frustration the girl didn't know. What she was sure of was that this man was going to suffer. It didn't matter if it was from thirst or her kunai in his gut, he would suffer.

The man sighed when Sakura didn't answer. "Slow it is, then." The flat of the kunai blade slipped under a stich on her arm. "Last chance," he said, pulling on the string holding together Sakura's flesh. He waited a heartbeat and then yanked hard.

It seemed as if Sakura's scream shook the entire oasis. Every time the chuunin pulled a stich out he would repeat his question about the water skins and every time he'd get no answer. Soon he didn't bother questioning anymore and simply kept slowly breaking up skin, letting Sakura's screams continue unbroken.

All the pain brought a strange clarity to Sakura. It cut through her rage like a hot blade. _'If you don't do something soon your arm will be useless.'_ Some part of her mind was giving her this advice and now Sakura could hear it again. She couldn't move her arms or legs, though. Nothing was obeying. How could she save herself?

'_You still have chakra, don't you?'_

The soldier pill was still thrumming beneath the surface – Sakura could feel it. Her hands wouldn't form into seals, though. How could she do anything without seals? Her chakra flared out, but without a conduit. Without orders to direct. It went into the ground, the air, the fire, the enemy nin – everything nearby it could touch.

Chakra in her legs found a path into the earth.

"No, no. We can't have you going until I get what I need," the chuunin said, holding Sakura out of the sand by her hair. He put his foot under Sakura's knees so that she was sitting on it rather than the ground.

Other tendrils went elsewhere. Sakura gasped at the feeling. The man had started on her weeping thumb, poking the raw and bleeding meat with a needle, but there was a much greater feeling inside the girl. It filled her up more than the pain.

Her chakra had reached the small campfire.

She could _feel_ the embers as if they were sitting in her stomach. They were alive still. They were useful still. Her chakra fed them like a bellows, breathing even greater life back into them.

The crackling of the fire drew the man's attention away from his captive. His fire, the one he had covered with dirt, was now raging so much that the heat was licking at his skin.

'_**Burn him.'**_

Sakura's eyes snapped open and focused on the shocked chuunin. The fire leapt off its tinder as if it were possessed, making the Rain-nin dance out of its reach.

"You're not getting away!" Sakura's water skin exploded on the man's belt, blasting away a part of his shirt and pants. The skin underneath was a raw red from the force of the blast. The chakra in the air coalesced behind the nin and blew him forward, into the billowing fire.

Now Sakura was free to sink into ground and the earth solidified around the needles in her body. A quick twist and she they were wrenched out. Free, the girl pulled her way out of the ground and pulled handful of shuriken which she threw at the burning Rain-nin.

He exploded in a puff of smoke, leaving behind one of the well bricks. Sakura was already twirling when she saw it and the next shuriken bounced off the kunai of the Rain-nin. He had kawarmi'd out of the fire, but it had seared his clothes and hair.

"That's quite the trick." His voice was tight as he glanced at the burns on his arms and legs. Some of his old bandages had burnt away showing the injuries he must have suffered when his comrades turned on him. A few places were already festering from skin rot. "My friends had tricks, but none of it helped when they tried to take the eyes from me one by one."

Sakura's teeth clenched. "They're not yours! Doton: Earth Flow Spears!"

The ground under the Rain-nin's feet erupted into a river of earthen spikes. He jumped, dodging the worst of the attack and ran for the canyon with an agility that he didn't seem capable of. The side of the canyon stretched for miles in the distance. He scrambled toward the lip of the canyon and jumped in without preamble.

A heartbeat later Sakura jumped in after him. The fall was nearly a hundred feet down at this point since they had both ran past the slopping entrance. The Rain-nin was more than halfway down, leaping from rock to rock and setting a blistering pace. Sakura pushed chakra to her feet and followed the same route down rock-by-rock.

It was a furious race down the side of the steep canyon and the Rain-nin was winning. He could jump nearly twice as far as Sakura could and he was just as fast. Sakura half-emptied her weapon pouch to slow him down but none of the projectiles hit their target.

She dodged a needle and it ricocheted inches from her foot. The chased chuunin was trying to fix the pace to his favor and his throws were far more accurate. Sakura had already experienced what he could do with needles – if he got even on in her he could be out of sight before Sakura could rip it out and catch up.

Deep inside the canyon the sun wasn't as pressing an issue. Long shadows from the wall created an enormously-wide ribbon of shade to run in and the Rain chuunin was taking advantage of it. Now, on the flat canyon floor, Sakura was keeping pace far easier.

There were fewer places to run with the high walls as well.

Sakura made a rooster seal and became aware of how low her chakra was getting. She couldn't help it, though. "Doton: Earth Flow Spears!"

The chuunin leaped over the first spear that erupted from the canyon floor and veered away from the two that had burst out of the canyon wall. Without breaking stride, he made a sharp turn and bolted down a canyon passage that had suddenly appeared in the wall.

That was just what Sakura wanted him to do. Now they were heading toward Suna and the faster the Rain-nin went the closer he would get to death.

"You're persistent!" The chuunin's words echoed through the canyon. He didn't seem nearly as winded as Sakura felt. "I don't know what kind of weird power you have, but it was a mistake to keep chasing me!"

"It was a mistake to kill my friend!"

Sakura's emotions flared as the chuunin pulled out of sight around a bend in the canyon. She pumped as much chakra as she could into her legs and feet to gain speed coming around the corner to gain ground.

The girl caught a roundhouse to the shoulder and crashed into the hard stone of the canyon. The Rain-nin had stopped once he was out of sight and correctly guessed what she'd do. He followed it up with a winding punch to Sakura's gut which doubled the genin over.

"It was bad luck that my team and I had already mapped this canyon for our escape route. I get the feeling you were trying to herd me somewhere too…but you didn't know about this blind curve." Sakura heard the scrape of metal against a leather holster.

Hisagi's map hadn't been that detailed. It had shown a curve at this point, but not that it was so sharp. Sakura had been outsmarted.

She felt the prick of a blade under her chin. "No more tricks, girl."

Sakura smiled through the pain. "One more for the road, okay?"

Her hands were flat against the canyon walls, sticking to them with chakra, and she heaved herself into the air. Both feet arched up and kicked the needle out of the stunned chuunin's hand. A wide bridge of chakra leapt out her soles, catching the wall and continuing the upwards tumble. When her feet were flush on the rock, Sakura pumped everything she had left into her legs to torque her muscles to their limit.

It was a shoulder spear – one which caught the chuunin in the neck and slammed him to the ground.

Sakura rolled forward another few feet and flopped down on the ground, exhausted from the maneuver. Her lungs were burning for air, her legs were burning from exertion, and her skin was burning from the hot rock under her. She could hear the Rain-nin gasping for breath as well. If her aim was true, her shoulder had hit his adam's apple.

'_Get up. You're not done! getupgetupgetupgetup GET UP!'_

She had to finish this. For Hinata and for herself. She fumbled around for a kunai and let out a happy grunt when her fingers closed around the cool metal hilt. Behind her, sounds of scraping and crawling made her blood thunder faster and faster in her veins. She had to get up before he did.

The Rain-nin was still on the ground when Sakura staggered to her feet. He had his hands wrapped tightly around his neck and he was gagging.

Defenseless.

Sakura's right shoulder was dislocated and her arm dangled painfully at her side. She forced her feet to slide one in front of the other as she crept closer to her prey. Every step she took she could see Hinata's empty skull staring up at her and it kept her motivated. Right beside the man's head, Sakura fell to her knees.

"All those people you killed to attack us...did you even care? Was Hinata just a target of opportunity or did you plan it?" The Rain-nin didn't – or couldn't – answer as he was still grabbing at his throat. Sakura shook her head. She didn't need answers, she just needed revenge.

"This is for Hinata!" she screamed, slamming down the kunai with every ounce of strength she had. She was going to pin the bastard to the canyon floor! Her smile turned feral as blood from the man's jugular erupted under the tip of her kunai.

When the kunai's tip hit the ground, the kage bunshin that had been ended erupted in a cloud of smoke.

Sakura stared at the empty ground, unblinking and not comprehending what had just happened.

Footfalls crunched behind her. "You're pretty bloodthirsty."

The genin's body sagged forward as a kunai erupted from the far right side of her waist. Sakura looked down at it, detached, and raised a shaky hand to grab at the small triangle of metal poking out from her shirt.

"It's a shame. I'm sure you have some kind of special blood that makes you go like this. Not to mention the odd trick you did at the oasis. Amegakure is always looking to collect interesting things."

Gasping, Sakura slumped forward and caught herself with her good arm. "How did you…"

A hand reached around and Sakura saw a half-eaten soldier pill resting in its palm. "Clumsy. I noticed that you always instinctively protected that pouch when we fought and I figured something good was in it. I was right."

Sakura felt stupid. Planning? Accounting for every variable? Neither of those mattered. There was a gap between her and this Rain-nin that couldn't be bridged by intelligence or cunning. Soldier pill or not, Sakura cursed coming out on her own. She was going to fail everyone.

She screamed when the Rain-nin's foot landed on her back beside the kunai. "Oh, I'm going to want this back." He ripped it back out and let Sakura fall onto her back.

Blood was flooding her tattered shirt. Sakura vainly clutched at the hole to stem the flow, but more was seeping out between her fingers with every heartbeat. She tried to repeat her earlier miracle by simply pushing chakra into the wound, but there was nothing left for her. The running and fighting had taken every drop of stamina.

A face appeared over her. The dark gray eyes of the Amegakure chuunin studied her for a moment and she heard him click his teeth. "Such a shame," he repeated. "I really would have liked to take your body back with me, but I'll just be happy with these." A clear bottle was in his free hand and Sakura saw two white eyes floating in formaldehyde.

Hinata's eyes.

"I won't…I won't let you…" But Sakura had nothing left to give. The tips of her good hand could only lightly grasp at the toe of the Rain-nin's sandal. Her eyes caught the gleam of the ring the minister had given her. Another reminder of her failure.

The Rain-nin bent over to take it off of her, but Sakura pulled her hand back and clutched it to her chest. She wouldn't give him that. Anything else, but not that – the ring was hers now. If she couldn't do her duty then she'd take it to the grave. She owed the minister that much at least.

Sakura felt the man pull away. She smiled at her small victory and let her eyes slide closed. She had wanted this at one time. Death before betrayal. She hadn't managed to do it for Konoha all those years ago in the hospital with Kabuto, but she could do it for herself now.

"What the hell are you?"

The sheer amount of fear in the man's voice startled Sakura awake. Her eyes were blurry, but there was…something…rising above her head. It stretched so far up that it blocked all the sun in the canyon.

There was a sudden rush of air and Sakura felt warm breath jet over her body. Her vision cleared a bit and she found herself eye-to-impossibly-large-eye with a monster. A monster half a mile tall, clad in deep purple scales, and with a head the size of a small house.

'_It's the god of death,'_ Sakura thought. There was no other word for what she saw. The Rain-nin was looking at it too and he was terrified. It truly was an awful-looking beast that had come to gobble her up.

But maybe, if she tasted good enough, he would grant her a favor? Sakura fought to raise her hand and her fingers brushed the massive tip of the snake's head. It was cool to the touch.

"K…K…" The words wouldn't come out and frustrated tears formed at the edge of her eyes. "K…Kill…"

Something wet flicked her stomach near the wound. Sakura gapsed – not from pain, but shock. She felt a spark of chakra fire deep within her chest. Another flick of the snake's forked tongue brought another flicker of chakra. Sakura gasped for fresh air and hacked up a wad of blood as the air rushed into her lungs.

Panting, Sakura gripped the ground with bloodied fingers and twisted around. The Rain-nin hadn't run yet.

"Kill him!" she snarled, hatred burning in her breast and kindling the spark of life therein. The death god would get her, but she would be **damned** if she wasn't going to take her pound of flesh.

The massive body overhead moved like coiled lightning, striking at the Rain-nin. He only barely dodged the first strike but the shower of rock and dirt that broke off from the canyon's wall where the beast had struck rained down upon him.

He was on Sakura in a second. "Call it off!" he yelled. His rebreather had fallen out in his haste and Sakura could smell the rancidness of his breath. "Call him off or I'll gut you again!"

Sakura wrenched her eyes closed. "Kill him! Kill him! _Kill him!_" she screamed.

There was another rush of air and the collar of Sakura's shirt was sheared off as the tail of the snake swatted the Rain-nin away. It had pulled its head free of the canyon and now it slithered off for the dazed chuunin.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She was shocked to find herself still in one piece after that. The chuunin had regained his footing, but he looked worse for wear now. Bandages that had been a dirty white were now soaked in blood and each new drop on the ground seemed to excite Sakura's unlikely savior.

Suddenly the Rain-nin reached into his vest. The bottle carrying his precious cargo flashed in the glimmer of sunlight that managed to squeeze past the massive reptile barreling down on him.

"If you call him off, I'll give these to you!" he called out. There was no cajoling in his voice this time – only pure desperation. "Think of it! You could have the Byakugan all to yourself! I'll disappear and no one would discover it! Everything's hidden in the desert!" The snake slithered closer. "For god's sake, please!"

"Stop!"

Just as the snake's massive jaw had started to open it snapped back shut. The Rain-nin fell to his knees, breathing so hard his chest was shaking. If the amount of blood on his lips was an indication, a rib had snapped when he had been thrown to the canyon wall and had punctured a lung.

Sakura forced herself up. Her right arm was useless – it was out of socket and all of her stitches were plucked out. Only a few young scabs kept the flaps of skin from her first operation on. She was heaving and black specks kept obscuring her vision.

She could see him clear enough, though.

The crack of metal hitting glass seemed to thunder through the canyon. The Rain-nin clutched the new, fatal wound in his chest and watched in disbelief as the precious eyes flopped out of his broken bottle and landed on the dusty sands of the canyon floor with a wet slap; the formaldehyde in the bottle mixed with his blood.

"Why do I need the Byakugan?" Sakura rasped, twisting the kunai that had slipped past the man's ribs. "I can kill you just fine just like I am, bastard."

Sakura fell with the dead ninja and her head hit the ground so hard her vision blurred. Her smile didn't fade even when her vision blurred upon impact, nor when the massive head of the snake loomed over her.

She was going to die, but not in some interrogation room. She had won on a battlefield, during a mission, after the hardest fight of her life. And yet…something had burned inside of her today that she had never felt before. She had never felt it working for Kabuto, at the Academy, or on missions with her team. It still filled her up and the pain Sakura knew wracked her body was like a distant voice compared to the roar in her chest.

'_I wish I could feel like this forever,'_ she thought as everything faded into nothing.

_**~End part one. **_


	12. Chapter 12 Act 2

"It better be a real emergency this late at night."

"Commander Yura thinks that it is, Sir. I was told to come and request that you come with me to the gate."

Baki frowned and pushed away the report he had been writing. It wasn't like Yura to break protocol unless there was something important. Sending out a messenger rather than coming himself…well, that was even less like Yura. Something was definitely wrong.

"Alright," Baki muttered, getting out of his chair, "let's get this over with."

It took a few minutes to make it out of the village at the pace the chuunin was going and the closer Baki got to the mouth of the pass the more uneasy he felt. Tensions had been high in Hidden Sand for months now and the wrong kind of alarm, false or not, could really cause problems for the population. He knew that there were already whispers among the civilians because of all the new ninja activity; he had even sat in on a few clandestine military tribunals for civvies that didn't take the Kazekage's stricter policies seriously. More than a few of those had seen massive amounts of jail time or fines dished out and everyone was getting jumpy.

Yura wasn't the type to rock the boat and that's what worried Baki the most. There were chains of command for just about everything and his old comrade usually didn't break them. He wanted to ask the chuunin just what this was about, but no one was risking sensitive conversations out in the open – you never knew who was listening to them anymore.

The narrow passage that formed Hidden Sand's best line of defense was just off in the distance and Baki didn't see any signs of trouble. Ninja were patrolling the walls as usual and they were faces that he'd seen time and time again. They might have been standing just a bit more ridged than normal, but it was hard to say tension was anything abnormal these days. Once upon a time he might have given a few of them polite nods, but now it would be just be an unwelcome break in the precious normality of daily duty.

Troublingly, the chuunin didn't take Baki to any of the regular duty rooms carved into the rock face. Instead he was led to the on-site hospital. It was under guard now by two sensor-type ninja that Baki recognized. He felt a small pulse of chakra probe him as he passed.

A familiar jounin was waiting just on the other side of the door. "Yura," Baki greeted, "I hope this isn't as bad as you're making it seem."

Yura was a tall, lankier jounin than Baki was. In the dull florescent light of the room he almost looked like a patient. "We don't really know yet. I was hoping you could tell me what to do from here." He motioned to a bed in the back where a team of white-clad medics were huddled.

Even though he was a seasoned ninja, the small girl laying on the bed was a sight Baki would rather not have seen this late at night. Her flesh looked like it had been torched in a cooker and then put through a meat-grinder. Two medic-nin were working on the worst of her injuries and a third was cutting away her clothing with a pair of scissors. Baki looked away when her shirt came away with a few sloths of skin that had been stuck fast to the dry blood.

He did notice the Konoha headband on the nightstand next to the bed. No one objected when he picked it up.

"Who is she?"

Yura passed a thin folder over and Baki flipped it open. It didn't have any photographs and only a few sheets of paper, but there was a hand-written note stapled to the bottom page. Baki clicked his teeth when he saw it.

"Well, it's certainly one of them." Baki could see why he had been called in on this. He memorized the pertinent pieces of information and handed the folder back. "Our standing orders were to detain her until her master picked her up, not kill her. How the hell did this happen?"

The other jounin bristled. "My men didn't do this," he growled. It would have almost been threatening if it wasn't clear he was just as worried as Baki was. "We found her half an hour ago on the wall, slumped over the guardrail. A few men said they heard something big in the sand and there are tracks out in the sand. It looks like an enormous snake left her on our doorstep."

"A snake…I guess there's no doubt about it in that case. Is she the one with the _things_?" Baki lazily waved a finger at his eyes.

"The medic-nin tell me she doesn't have any unusual chakra pathways in her eyes, so she's not the one with the dojutsu. Before you ask, she was alone out there. No one else was anywhere in the pass – we checked."

That wasn't what Baki wanted to hear. "Sole survivor, then. If she dies on our watch it might cause a diplomatic incident, especially since they were ambushed inside our boarders."

"You can't expect us to patrol every square inch of Suna. We just don't have the manpower anymore for that." A medic looked sharply at Yura and he glared back. He lowered his voice, though. "They have to know that we can't know everything that goes on in the Wind Country."

"No, that's exactly what he _can't _know. The Kazekage doesn't want Hidden Sound or anyone else finding out just how thinly-stretched we are right now. It's the whole reason for this summit." He motioned for the man to follow him away from the bed so the medics could do their jobs. From the looks of things they needed every edge they could get. "Focus on what we can do now: what do we know about her?"

"You saw the file. It's what we have."

Baki grunted. "I saw a note with a vague description of two Konoha-nin that may or may not show up in Suna along with a list of genin names a decade old. We have to have something better than that."

"Now who's not keeping his focus? We didn't have information on every genin in a given village even during our best days. She has pink hair – that's what we were told by that Sound minister. How many Konoha-nin have pink hair?"

"Exactly, how many do? It might be clan-specific and if it is we'll have a name." Baki couldn't believe that Yura hadn't already done all of this before calling him. Things were shaky right now, but that was no excuse for sloppiness. "I want to know that girl's name by morning, Yura." The man slowly nodded and that was good enough for now. "What about her injuries? Did she get them in the attack?"

"The medics told me that she had a few cracked ribs, some fresh and some a bit older, along with a bad case of dehydration. Her arm's a mess – it looks like it was field stitched but then healed with chakra, which doesn't make sense. Past that, she fought with it and busted a lot of the stitches so it's back to square one. She also doped herself pretty heavily with soldier pills and morphine. That's why she's so unresponsive: chakra depletion and a drug crash."

It was a laundry list of problems. Baki was surprised the girl was even still alive. "Will she survive?"

Yura shrugged. "It's touch-and-go at the moment. The bleeding from that stomach wound was easy to treat. Whatever went through her went right through without hitting anything important. There was sand in it and that helped stop the bleeding. What the medics are really worried about is chakra depletion. She used everything she had and then some doing whatever out in the desert. They're telling me it's impossible for her to even be alive with so little chakra left, but what's there is managing to keep everything running perfectly. They really don't know how her body is doing it, which is why we called in the sensor ninja." He glanced over at the bed with suspicion. "They couldn't tell us much of anything other than her chakra pathways were extremely developed for her age, even though she doesn't have a lot of chakra to go around yet."

"Make a note of that. We might be able to find more information if we cross-reference that with records from the war." It was more than they had to work with a minute ago at any rate. Looking at her, though, Baki couldn't see anything but a corpse. He turned back to Yura. "The second they're able to safely wake her, make them. Put her in the village general hospital tomorrow. I don't want any village nin to get wind of this."

"The medics won't like that."

"They'll have to live with it. We can't start the summit until she's up and around."

Yura cocked his head to the side. "The Kazekage wants to question her himself?" he guessed.

Baki shook his head. "No, she's part of the Oto delegation. That's why I was up late tonight: if she hadn't showed up I would have been out there looking for her."

The jounin scoffed. "That's crazy," he said and privately Baki couldn't help but agree.

Then again, who was he to understand how the mind of Orochimaru worked?


	13. Chapter 13

"If you need something, you can press the button on the side of your bed to call a nurse. Do not move, no not try and get anything for yourself, do not even try and roll yourself in bed without help. Do you understand?"

The nurse knew she wasn't going to get an answer, but she had to ask anyway. She had to go through the checklist, had to remain at her nurse station in case the impossible happened and she _was_ actually summoned, had to do a million little things that were wasted on the unresponsive girl in room 369.

She had to do it because there were eyes watching her even if she didn't see them.

"Alright, I'm going to be right outside at the front desk," she said, not showing what she thought of the absurd situation in her expression. "If you do need anything, I'm a button push away."

Only when she was out in the hall among the regular hospital crowd did she relax.

Another nurse already at the station looked up. She asked, "How was our little ninja today, Megumi?"

The young woman scoffed. "What do you think? You don't take that many drugs and get back up."

She had been just as shocked as the other nurses when the ANBU had dropped off the girl in the dead of night half a week ago. Megumi, one of the late night resident nurses, had helped move her into the single-patient room and set up the machines helping her breath. A big, scowling man had pulled the hospital director aside and ordered him to keep their new patient alive "as a matter of national urgency." Everyone was still walking on pins and needles around the girl. Megumi was the unlucky floor nurse that was responsible for the night shift in that particular wing. She would swear up and down that something strange was going on in that room. There was always the feeling that you were being watched. Both the day and night staff agreed on that.

"I don't think that the ANBU are going to take that for an answer," the other nurse at Megumi's station said. "Lisa said the big one stopped by again this morning. He wanted to know if she was up yet."

"They can ask all they want, but that girl's not getting back up. She's been through three rounds of detox already and all the strange drugs aren't completely out of her system yet. The gods only know what those ninja drug themselves with. Her toxicology report reads like a pharmaceutical list, not to mention the failed liver. Her room has been turned into a temporary dialysis clinic."

"Yeah, but if they want her up—"

Megumi tossed the chart she'd been looking at haphazardly into her _to-do_ stack. "If they want her up and around they'll have to create some kind of miracle science all by themselves," she said. It was useless trying to talk some sense into Ami, though; the other night nurse was a freakish ball of optimism. She even thought everything in the village was going well.

It wasn't. Anyone with half a brain could see that. Lines in the market were getting longer and longer and people were starting to really complain about the prices grocers were charging. The Kazekage had thrown a few of the worst price gougers in prison, but the smart ones were raising the prices bit by bit so people became used to paying more for a loaf of bread or head of lettuce.

Maybe it was time to get out of Sunagakure? A lot of Megumi's friends were already talking about it. The ninja were stuck here, but the civilians weren't. They were free to go anywhere in Wind Country that they wanted. A lot of people were saying that the capital was in the middle of an economic boom and ryo rained down on you from the sky. She wasn't going to believe that for even a second, but surely it had to be better than living under the thumb of the Kazekage and his cabal.

At the very least, she wouldn't have to put up with situations like _this_ in the capital.

The large clock on the far wall struck ten and Ami got up to do her rounds. Megumi sighed and gathered up the charts she'd need for her own patients. Every half hour they wanted her to make rounds now. If the director hadn't put the rule into place months ago, she would have blamed it on the little vegetable. Certainly, though, they expected her to keep a good eye on the girl's room. She slipped the girl's chart under her arm and pushed the door open with a lazy nudge.

Several heads turned in the room. There were three men in the room: one was seated next to the girl's bed, a taller man was standing by the window, and the ANBU that Megumi had seen the morning the strange girl had been brought to the hospital was right beside the door. He was close enough that the nurse could hear him breathe through his half-mask.

The smallest man by the bed rose from his chair. "And there's our floor nurse. You're right on time, Megumi-san," he said. His face, illuminated by the lamplight, was pockmarked by age. Set behind thick glasses, his eyes crinkled as his smile tugged at his droopy skin. She knew that look; she saw it every day.

"Director Mako, Sir! I'm sorry I didn't hear you page me. I didn't know you were in this late."

The elderly man walked over and put his arm around her shoulder. "You didn't hear the page because there wasn't one. We're just doing a little midnight consultation. Nothing to get the hospital excited over."

"What's her condition?" Megumi jumped when the large man next to her spoke. He was still by the door, but his voice was loud enough that it seemed like he were right next to her. His boiled leather vest, polished and gleaming in the lamplight, declared him a ninja.

"She's still unconscious." Megumi's face burned when the small stutter slipped out. She shouldn't be intimidated by this man – he was in _her_ hospital and the director was watching. This could very well be some kind of performance review. "The toxicology reports aren't looking good. She took a dangerous cocktail of drugs."

"She did at that," the director said. He let her take his seat while he stood next to the head of the bed. "We found opium and morphine in her system, along with a whole slew of chemical enhancements." The ninja called it hyorogan: soldier pill. They caused extreme biological stress on the user, especially when someone took them in succession. The toxicologists had been buzzing for days that they had real hyorogan to study. It was usually a controlled substance that only the ninja had access to.

It must be the reason the two ninja were here. Others had said they thought there was something off about the room, like it was being watched. Megumi didn't think that went far enough. Did anyone really think they weren't being observed by the Suna-nin? Suna never let its secrets out. Ever. That was how every hidden village was with their mysteries. Whenever you thought you had one in your hand, it was tugged right away by the hundreds of little strings you never saw.

Her thoughts were broken by the director. He had moved back to his chair and was carefully drawing back the sheets from the tiny girl. Megumi almost looked away when the full extent of her burns and bandages was exposed. She reminded herself that it wasn't just the drugs that had landed the girl here. The ninja also ripped each other apart like dogs when it suited them. There were only around half a dozen patients in this hospital that could boast physical trauma like the little ninja girl in room 369. You could get thrown from a horse or fall from a second story window and come out better than her.

Still, Megumi knew when a doctor needed assisting and stepped up to the bed without prompt. The director didn't do many personal checks, but this was an unusual case and his fingers traced the large bandage around the girl's ribs with the care of a seasoned physician. He pushed and prodded, testing how the skin was healing around the worst of the wounds. There were sun blisters the size of oranges on the girl's shoulders. You could see the water sloshing around in them if you looked hard enough. That wasn't the worst, though. The director pulled back a bandage right above the ribs that was sticky with blood. Something had gone straight through the lower part of the liver. It was failing.

"Can you clean this for me?" Megumi had to search for a moment, but she found the medical pan the director had probably brought with him. It was full of polished surgical tools and fresh bandages, tubing, and needles. She grabbed a bit of gauze and started to dab at the edges of the dark-purple stab wound. The blood flaked off in large bits of crust that had to be swept, not wiped, away. The doctors had ordered her not to tamper with the bandages too much since the girl was so touch and go. Just a simple bump could make some of the stich work rupture and spill blood and puss all over the sheets.

Director Mako felt around the pan for something else, scratching on the metal with his long fingernails. Megumi wondered if the ninja hated the sound of scraping nail as much as she did. She wished that the director had called someone else for this. She had other patients to deal with tonight and anytime the Suna-nin started questioning people about the girl's condition they kept them awhile. Since they had gotten the director himself they must want answers that they couldn't get by skulking around by themselves.

It was curious, though, that the director was tapping the vein on the girl's left arm. Training kicked in and Megumi dabbed away a bit of blood that pushed its way past the thick needle used to insert an IV. She noticed that the director was starting to sweat as well, so she padded it away with a fresh bit of cloth.

He smiled at her and caught her hand for a quick squeeze. "You're a real gem, Megumi," he said.

The room window closed with a click. She looked up and saw that the tall man was gone. She had forgotten about him. Sounds from outside died with that click. The director's grip tightened with that click.

"Director?" She didn't know what question she wanted to convey. It wasn't important. Megumi felt the prick of a needle in her neck and swayed. The portly director helped her down to the floor. New beads of sweat were working their way down his face like tiny rivers. _I'm sorry_, he mouthed, but all Megumi could see was the darkness closing in on the edge of her vision.

**Loyalty: Chapter Thirteen**

"If you need something, you can press the button on the side of your bed to call a nurse. Do not move, no not try and get anything for yourself, do not even try and roll yourself in bed without help. Do you understand?"

Sakura nodded her head. "Thank you," she said, meaning it. The quiet little nurse had been kind to her.

"It's nothing," Ami replied. She pulled the sheets back away from Sakura and tugged her gown down far enough that she could get to the girl's sun-swollen arms, shoulders, and upper back. The pain was less gut-wrenching today, which probably meant she was healing. Ami unscrewed the cap on a large container of ointment. Sakura hissed when the creamy medicine hit her skin, but the pain faded as it always had as the effects took hold. The horrible burning sensation melted away for a few hours with every application. Sakura hadn't been able to watch the first day because seeing her skin cracked like a dried riverbed made her sick; now seeing the fleshy pink skin underneath the cracks made her feel better. She was healing. She was alive. She had survived.

"Your arm is healing nicely," Ami was saying. It was the same thing she said every time she checked it. The field stitches had been plucked out and the whole thing had been properly cleaned and treated with actual medication. Now the only reminders were the half dozen white scars that crisscrossed her arm where Kakashi had burnt out the infection. Sakura was fine with that. They were a reminder of how she had clung to life when by all rights it should have been stripped from her.

Like it had from Hinata.

Every time she closed her eyes Sakura could see Hinata's rotted face staring back at her. She had seen death, held death in her arms, and dealt it out with her own two hands. She had killed the Rain-nin for what he had done. It was different than the bandits and the burning pits of bodies out in the desert. That had been terrifying and the aftermath of knowing just how many people she'd killed still made her sick. She hadn't felt like that when she'd ended the Rain-nin's life. She had felt wonderful – _alive_. It had been satisfying and exhilarating and challenging all at the same time, fighting for her life, and now that she sat here the victor she felt a deep sense of satisfaction for having survived. For having won.

No, Sakura told herself that she needed the scars. She needed the reminder because if she didn't constantly remind herself of the cost the guilt wouldn't be there at all. If she didn't constantly picture Hinata's face, the shy Hyuuga who had made her feel like a normal girl again, that terrifying roar in her chest would come back.

She let her head sink down into her pillow. There were a great many more things to think about than strange feelings and guilt. Hinata was gone. Her mission was a failure and now she was alone in a strange village under mysterious circumstances. How had she arrived? The canyon where she had fought the Rain-nin was over two days journey out into the desert. The extent of her sunburn implied that someone, or something, had brought her here, but for what purpose? Had the giant snake been a hallucination or some kind of trained animal? Had _it_ brought her here? Why hadn't it simply attacked her like it had the Rain-nin? There were more questions dancing around her head than there were grains of sand in the desert.

Instead of thinking about unanswerable questions, she ran a finger over the wishbone-shaped scar on her chest and upper stomach where they'd cut to transplant her liver. It had been the most serious surgery of her life and she couldn't even remember it. She certainly remembered the Rain-nin's kunai sliding into her back, though. That was just as good. She could make something up later when she'd tell Naruto and Sasuke about it.

Ami had caught the melancholy look that passed over Sakura's face. "Does it hurt much? I can ask the doctor if you can be put on a bit more morphine if it does."

It was just like Ami to risk another reprimand for that. Sakura knew that the doctors wouldn't let her so much as look at morphine now that it was all out of her system. "No, I'm just thinking about my friends. I don't think they'll even recognize me after all this." She remembered Sasuke's coldness to her out in the desert well enough. He'd asked her if she'd cared about all the death and Sakura had said she wished there had been another way. What would he say about the way she'd killed the Rain-nin? It was no use to think about it now. Sasuke and Naruto were a hundred miles away in Konoha by now. And Kakashi…

_He knows_.

A tremor slithered up her spine. The feeling that Kakashi was getting too close to the truth had been growing since she had gotten onto Team Seven. Sakura knew she had made mistakes and that Kakashi knew far more about her than was healthy. There was never that feeling of imminent doom, though. Not until the minister had said those two words that locked everything into place. Sakura knew that she had to find out how near to the truth Kakashi had gotten in order to head him off. And she had already wasted three days lying in bed.

Sakura settled and let her eyes slide closed. She heard Ami's scratches pause on her clipboard for a moment, but they came right back. In her mind's eye, Sakura followed the nurse about the room as she went about resetting the monitoring machines. Sakura had already memorized the keystrokes to do the same. When the nurse slipped out of the room for the night, the genin knew she was about to get Ami into even more trouble and whispered a soft apology under her breath.

Waiting the few minutes to ensure that Ami wasn't coming back was hard. Sitting up was harder. Trying to stand was agonizing. Every bend of her torso made the wishbone-shaped scar on her chest bellow with pain. The metal staples and neat stitching held everything in place, but Sakura knew she was far from her top form. The red scars on her arm hurt as well. Even with regular salve applications they hadn't completely healed over yet. The bright pink skin between the edges of the cuts stretched and twisted painfully whenever Sakura tried to move her arm too much. It wasn't useless, though. She was able to push herself up well enough and had the dexterity to press all the buttons she needed to press. No alarms sounded as the IV popped free of her arm along with all the electronic sensors that monitored her heartbeat and breathing. There would be an uproar when the staff found out she had left. From conversations and the tight watch, Sakura knew she was being kept here secretly. She didn't know why yet, but that was one of the things she was going to find out tonight.

Bare feet gently padded toward the window. Sakura felt around the separator in the middle and slid the pane of glass open. A gentle breeze rustled the curtains. It was a cool night in Suna and Sakura was only wearing a hospital slip, but the fresh air felt good. She took three deep breaths and filled her lungs until her chest tinged in pain. She tasted the freedom that the night promised. Gently, she leaned her shoulders out over the ledge. It was a three story drop to the ground and there was a slight trickle of people going in and out of the hospital. Above, there were another five stories. Some rooms were still brightly lit even at the late hour. The one thing Sakura was glad for was the thing slice of light that came from the waning crescent of the moon. It was enough to light her way to the roof.

The sand was smooth under Sakura's fingers as she put her right hand to the wall next to her window. She sucked in a breath when a warm surge of chakra sprang to her fingertips. It had only taken the slightest thought to draw it to her. Foolishly, she had expected her physical state to interfere with her ability to channel chakra. In the quiet gloom, Sakura could easily reach down into her stomach and feel the simmering fire of her reserves waiting to be called upon. She hadn't dared test it while hooked up to the machines in case the doctors weren't aware she was a ninja.

Her legs went out next, unfolding like spider legs coming feet-first out of a funnel web. Knees creaked as they were forced to bend in angles they hadn't been bent in for days. Slowly, carefully, her naked foot was pushed flush against the outside wall. Chakra held it firm as Sakura brazenly swung out of the window fully. She was holding herself with only her left side, letting the right swing free in the air like a door hinge. Everything worked properly as her right toes and fingers met the wall and latched tight. Holding herself tightly with her shoulders and pushing down with her feet, Sakura could keep her torso and the stiches and staples that riddled it lax and loose. Nothing tugged as she slowly skittered her way up the wall, passing window after window.

There was no commotion or alarm as she crested the roof. Only the moon illuminated the flat top of the hospital and Sakura held her arms close as she crossed. Bits of loose gravel stuck to the bottom of her foot as she shuffled around the rim. Lights shimmered in the darkness like a hundred candles. Suna was built in a canyon, filling the entire rift from edge to edge with squat, sand-colored buildings that rose out of the sand like mushrooms. At the center of the maze sat a massive circular building suspended by massive columns of sand. The giant "Wind" symbol was large enough for Sakura to clearly make it out, even halfway across the village.

A sandal crunched gravel on the rooftop. Sakura's heart thundered against her chest and she told herself that the newcomer wouldn't hurt her. "I thought you'd be longer," she said. Her voice wasn't shaky, but Sakura knew that her breathing gave away how nervous she really was. Fear and unease were constant companions to her now. It was time to master them.

"You're being watched, of course. We knew the moment you stepped outside of your room." A man stepped up beside her and Sakura found looking up into the eyes of a Sunagakure jounin that towered well over her head. Sakura guessed that he had meant to sound menacing and his face, the half she could see, certainly matched the voice. A single brown eye regarded her. He looked at her arm, at the scars, and then the slip of a hospital gown. Sakura saw the flap of his half-veil flutter when he grunted. "Your village has provided you a line of credit for mission critical gear and we've agreed to outfit you. There are clothes back behind you."

Sakura turned and saw a pile of fabric sitting a dozen feet away on top one of the roof ventilation ducts. She didn't know what kind of meeting the jounin was talking about, but if they'd already been in contact with Konoha then they knew that her mission had changed. Likely, this was the fastest way to find the minster. The clothes picked out for her were simple – a loose t-shirt top, cured leather leggings, and a few pouches for all the things she didn't have anymore. Sakura looked back and saw that the tall jounin wasn't paying her any mind, so she slipped the clothes on without much thought. They were warmer than the thin hospital gown. Her Konoha headband was at the bottom of the pile. It had been polished and its weight back atop her head was a welcome comfort.

The man gestured to a fire escape on the opposite side of the roof. "Your master was going to fetch you tomorrow, but since you're ready I can take you to him now. For the record, my name is Baki. The paperwork for your official duties here as a bodyguard is already settled. Only myself and a handful of others are aware of the meeting with the Kazekage, so we're taking the long way to the tower."

Sakura's heart started to thrum in her ears. This was all starting to sound much, much deeper than a simple trade talk.

"What did you tell my village?" Sakura asked to distract herself and hide how unsettled she was. Konoha would debrief her as soon as she returned home and the one thing Sakura did not need was a conflicting cover. That could be taken care of now.

"That you arrived a day after the Agriculture Minister, but in bad need of supplies and hospital care. That's what the line of credit request was for – it gives more of a legitimate paper trail. You'll have a full list of items we requested ready by the time you're to leave." His tone had made the explanation seem like a dismissal and Sakura kept the rest of her questions to herself.

The wrought iron gate that closed-off the utility section of the hospital creaked as Baki pushed it open. It was easy for Sakura to keep pace with him even with her injuries. The streets were empty and there was enough moonlight to see by. Suna had dazzled from the rooftop, but down here, on the ground, Sakura could see signs of hard times. Garbage had been left in piles outside of townhouses and no one was out enjoying the nightlife. After a quick scan, Sakura noticed that there weren't actually many places to host a nightlife. The only buildings she saw that beckoned people inside were seedy-looking bars that splashed gaudy sale signs advertising the cheapness of their house brew in the windows. All the little things she'd grown accustomed to in Konoha were absent. There weren't any restaurants or clubs where adults went to spend their time late at night. It was eerie to hear the crispness of her footfalls on a street that should by all rights be crowded with people. A lack of lamps let the darkness creep in from the desert and wash over the buildings, making them look sister and foreboding. Alien.

A quarter of an hour passed before the Kazekage dome finally peaked over the tops of the buildings. Baki hadn't explained himself any further in that time and Sakura hadn't asked any questions to fill the silence, partly because she was afraid trying to learn too much would make her guide upset and partly due to the burning in her chest from the long walk. Her stitches were starting to ache with each new step. Seeing the massive sphere of sandstone that marked the end of their journey was a blessing. It was a scant ten minutes later that Sakura was standing in the lobby of the massive headquarters, looking very out of place in her civilian clothes and Konoha headband.

Baki was talking with the receptionist. He was too far away and was speaking too softly for Sakura to try and eavesdrop. Instead, she busied herself with memorizing the layout of everything she could see. The same airy architecture of the village was shown here in the open windows and squat, far apart walls. There was enough room to rest an entire battalion in here if you pushed all the furniture to the walls. It was probably what the designers had in mind and, since the entire thing was shaped like a ball, the space would be greatest in the middle. The entire tower was a fortress designed for a multi-tiered defense.

The conversation at the desk stopped. Baki motioned for her to join him. "Come on, Sakura," he said. It was strange hearing her name cut through the silence of the lobby. Of course Baki would know it if he had already met with the minister, but hearing it aloud stripped a bit of her armor off. She wasn't the mysterious ninja of room 369 anymore – she was back to being Haruno Sakura, Konoha genin who was sorely out of her depth.

She followed a step behind the jounin as he took to the stairs. It was late and not many ninja were working in the tower, but they passed a dozen drowsy unfortunates on their way up to the third story. They didn't walk far from the stairs after hitting the landing. Baki led her down a connecting corridor that opened into a wide circle filled with doorways. He stepped up to the third door from the left and tapped twice dead center.

It wasn't long before the door swung open. Baki took two large steps backwards and gave Sakura a hard push on the small of her back. She stumbled through the dark doorway like a drunk returning to his home after a night at the bar. "We'll send for you all when it's time for the meeting." He reached out and grabbed the doorknob. "Don't wander. You're all being watched." The door slammed shut and darkness descended on the unnerved genin.

There was movement to her side. Sakura's head snapped to the side and she met the eyes of the boy that had answered Baki's knock. He was huge, much taller than Sakura, and broader in the shoulders and chest than most adults she knew. "It's you," he said, sounding surprised.

It took a few moments for Sakura's eyes to adjust to the low light, but there was enough spilling from the gap around the door to see the fleshy features of the large boy. She didn't recognize him. "Do I know you?"

"We met at the caravan," he said. "I was one of the minister's guards. Come on, we've got a little time left before the meeting."

Sakura nodded. "I'm Sakura," she offered.

The boy moved past her with a muffled reply of "Jirobo." Sakura followed him into the depth of the room. What had seemed like a small space now opened into a massive storage room. Sakura could see a few tables put end-to-end down the middle of the floor and scattered couches and chairs. Most were stacked neatly in towers, but some had been pulled down for recent use.

There were two other people in the room. Jirobo sank down onto a couch next to a dark-skinned boy who was sitting with his head lolled back while on the far side a boy sat by himself. Neither one seemed very interested in her, so Sakura sank down into an empty chair to rest. Her injuries were distracting throbs of not-quite pain that raced along the length of her abdomen scars. The long walk from the hospital had taken a lot out of her and she traced the stitching through her shirt with her finger. Blessedly the fabric didn't stick to the cuts.

Something thudded against the leg of her chair. "You're in my chair, bitch." Sakura bit back a startled chirp at being so thoroughly surprised by someone. She was already halfway up from the fright and in no mood to argue. A redheaded girl roughly pushed her aside and took chair. She wasn't nearly as silent as the others and the smattering of conversation ceased. Embarrassed, Sakura squeezed onto the sofa next to Jirobo.

The redhead popped a bag of potato chips open and loudly began crunching on them. After a moment, she snapped her fingers. "I recognize you," she said. "You called me a fat troll of a woman out in the desert." Her smile turned feral. "I never got to thank you for that." Her chair scrapped loudly on the stone as it skittered backwards.

"Tayuya! Stop flapping your mouth and give me some chips."

The boy who had been sitting next to Jirobo was suddenly in front of Sakura. Tayuya clicked her teeth and dropped a few chips into his waiting hand. One of his hands, that is – he had several. Sakura hadn't noticed it in the dark, but there were six arms jutting out of his body. Sakura had heard of physical abnormalities in ninja, but this was the first time she'd ever seen one.

"You're such a prick, Kidomaru. Next time get your own fucking snacks," Tayuya snapped. Sakura let out a sigh when the girl dragged her chair to the other side of the room to sit by the quiet blue-haired boy.

Jirobo leaned over. "She'll forget about what you said to her in a few days. It's best to not get on her bad side, though. She isn't very lady-like."

That was an understatement. For even someone as big and strong-looking as Jirobo to be giving that kind of advice was indication enough. "I'll keep that in mind." She caught the eye of the multi-armed boy as he shuffled back to his seat on the couch. "Thank you, but you didn't have to distract her like that. I don't want you getting into trouble with her because of me."

The boy tossed a chip into his mouth. "Don't worry about it," he said between crunches. "Tayuya always has a pole up her ass about something. Besides, she wouldn't have killed you. We have our own orders, after all."

"From the minister, right?" Sakura asked. "I know we're supposed to be going with him on some kind of meeting with Suna."

"You don't already know?" He sounded pleased, though Sakura couldn't guess what he was getting at. "Well that's different! Why don't we play a little game to pass the time? If you will, I'll smooth things over even more with Tayuya for you. I'll even give you some hints!"

Sakura wrapped crossed her arms and leaned back into the cushions. "What kind of game?" she asked, curious. Keeping her mind busy on this kept it off her injuries and not having that violent girl angry with her would be good. "It's about who the minister really is, right?"

"You _are_ a sharp one! How about this: I'll only give you hints when you ask for them. If you can work out who the minister really is with three or less hints, you win. If you can't, I call Tayuya back over here and she beats you senseless. Yeah, that works for me. Go on, start working it out. You've only got about twenty minutes before _he_ comes and fetches us for the meeting."

It wasn't an idle threat. Sakura could tell from Kidomaru's body language, his relaxed posture, that he wouldn't think twice about making good on the rules if she lost. Jirobo didn't look like he was going to intervene either.

Sakura's heart was thundering in her chest. She didn't stand a chance in any kind of fight the way she was right now. She had to play his game and win. _Calm down. Think. It wouldn't be fun for him if there wasn't a risk of losing. He isn't doing this just to hurt me._ Kidomaru was simply meeting her look with a cocksure face. He wasn't being malicious, he just didn't care. That meant there was a chance to win.

Her tongue flicked out over her dry lips. "If I get it with only one hint, you have to answer any question I want." The words spilled out before Sakura let her mind properly filter them. The thudding of her heart wasn't so unpleasant anymore; the feeling going through her skin felt like as if she had slipped on a favorite silk shirt. This was a game she certainly didn't want to lose.

"Now you've made it an interesting game!" Kidomaru exclaimed with a chuckle. "Alright, I'll tell you anything you want. You've only got fifteen more minutes, though, so make them count."

Sakura grinned. "Well, it's not that hard if I think about it. If he was simply the Agriculture Minister then you all wouldn't be sitting here instead of being with him. That means he has power in the village itself rather than just the government of Rice Country. I know that none of the Fire Nation government figures can order around their guards when they get some from the village."

Kidomaru waved a hand, but he was smiling. "That's a big leap of logic. Our orders could have multiple facets. Suna isn't as stable as some of the other countries we've been through already, so naturally we have to take other precautions. Some might involve being in this room at this very moment. You can't know otherwise."

That was true enough, but Sakura already had another avenue of deduction ready. "But if that were the case you wouldn't need to disguise yourselves as bodyguards. I've seen you all up-close as guards for the minister, but I didn't recognize Jirobo. He knew me, though. That means you were all disguised in some way to fool the other ninja from my village." The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. What could four kids give away that was worth the elaborate disguise they had used? Not even the ANBU had seen through it. Or, if they did, they made no mention of it.

"Those could have been other—"

"Your friend already gave it away that the female guard was her. Since you all seem so close, I don't think you'd split. You must have some way of switching the two guards between the four of you or maybe genjutsu. Either way, I'd say that all of you were there since traveling with us was the only way for you to get here. Don't try and say that you went through the desert, either. If you did that the chances are good that you'd have run into either the bandits or the Rain-nin at one of the watering holes. I don't think either would have let you pass through."

The boy's smile grew. "Alright, so you figured that part out. Still haven't answered the million-ryo question yet and you've only got about eight more minutes."

So, the bodyguards had all been with the minister in disguise. Something about them, some detail, gave away more information than Oto was comfortable giving out. Why, though, would they risk such distinctive bodyguards then? They had likely been with the minister since leaving Oto; life in the village continued on without them. Their authority couldn't be that much. The minister, on the other hand, met with at least three different village heads.

"Do you know how much information Konoha has about Oto in the library?" Sakura asked. Her breath was coming out in gentle puffs and her body was trembling with excitement. Something was starting to roar in her ears. "You have no kage of your own and Rice Country doesn't have a daimyo. I thought it was weird that the Agricultural Minister would be able to go around the continent when agriculture is the most important product Rice exported. He would be too important, too needed back home, for a trip like this. Rice Country hasn't had a hidden village for very long and the country is too inexperienced when it comes to dealing with other countries to trust trade negotiations to an official like that. You need someone who's well-traveled – someone who would rate distinctive security guards, who would be forced to travel incognito, and who was experienced enough to get as much information as possible from the trip."

Jirobo was looking at her as if she had grown a second head, but Kidomaru was laughing. "You didn't even need the hint, did you? No wonder _he_ wanted a delay until you could join us."

Events were swirling around Sakura again in a way she couldn't comprehend. "Why wait on me, though? Why help me out in the desert? What does Orochimaru, the leader of Otogakure, want from me?"

"Who can guess what he's thinking?" Kidomaru asked. His ponytail bobbed when his top-most arms shrugged. "I'm not going to try and second-guess him."

Jirobo grunted. "He said you were our go-between with Danzo. This is the first time he's actually met with a kage. The other times we just followed him to council meetings. We waited an extra day for you to get here."

A whole day for one little girl to get out of the hospital. The thrill she had been feeling turned to a foul sickness in the pit of her stomach. "I'm nobody. Less than nobody. Kabuto had me doing his dirty work for months before I met with Danzo, and even then I'm sure he was just trying to quietly kill me." Sakura could recognize when someone was trying to convince themselves of something, but she didn't care. Thrusting her arms around her chest, she said, "It must be something else. He didn't know if I would come out of the desert alive. He didn't know I'd even be on this mission in the first place." Jirobo and Kidomaru shared a look and let the conversation die.

It had to be a coincidence. Sakura didn't want to think about what she could possibly offer the most notorious missing-nin in Konoha's history if it wasn't.

_Author Note: I guess you all have to reset the "# of days Radical Dreamer has been MIA" counters now._


End file.
